ATHENS, Greece: A cargo ship sank off the Greek island of Lesbos in stormy seas early Sunday, leaving one crew member dead, 12 missing and one rescued, Associated Press (AP) reported.

The ship reported a mechanical problem at 7 am Sunday, sent a distress signal at 8:20 am and shortly after disappeared about 8 kilometres southwest of Lesbos, authorities said.

A dead crew member was retrieved Sunday afternoon and was transported to Lesbos. The body arrived on the island but has not been identified yet, a coast guard spokeswoman told The Associated Press.

One member was rescued, another coast guard spokeswoman told AP earlier Sunday.