Turkish coast guard rescues 57 migrants stranded on island in Aegean Sea

Refugees and migrants disembark on a beach after crossing a part of the Aegean sea from Turkey's coast to the Greek island of Lesbos, on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016. (AP / Santi Palacios)

ISTANBUL -- The Turkish coast guard has rescued 57 people who were stranded on a tiny island in the Aegean Sea after attempting to reach Greece.

The state-run Anadolu news agency says helicopters evacuated 12 people including three sick children from the islet near the Turkish coastal town of Dikili in Izmir province. Small fishing boats helped rescue the others, as coast guard vessels were unable to navigate the rocky area.

There was no mention of fatalities or the nationalities of those rescued.

More than a million people reached Europe in 2015 in the continent's largest influx of refugees since the end of World War II. Nearly 3,800 migrants didn't make it, losing their lives in the Mediterranean after their overcrowded boats sunk.

The Greek islands were a major entry point.