THE Greek authorities on Lesbos arrested 25 Afghan refugees, including 17 children, on the island of Lesbos on Monday before setting them adrift in the Aegean Sea in a lifeboat, a charity warned yesterday.

After surviving the dangerous crossing from Turkey and reaching Lesbos on Sunday afternoon, the 25 hid in the woods and eventually made contact with Norwegian NGO Aegean Boat Report (ABR), which monitors and records the treatment of refugees trying to reach Greece.

“We are all wet. We don’t have clothes … We need help, please help us,” an audibly upset woman says in a voice message to and shared by Aegean Boat Report.

ABR, however, said that it was unable to find help for the people.

Later on Monday, ABR received the following desperate voice message from the same woman: “Hello. Today ... the Greek police caught us and left us in the middle of the sea. Help us come help us. The boat is not good. The water is coming in. All 17 children are here.”

After midnight on Tuesday, the Turkish coast guard confirmed that it had found the 25 about 125 miles south of Lesbos.