Search Called Off For Missing Crew Aboard MV Eternity C

The search for seafarers from the bulker Eternity C attacked and sunk by the Houthi in the Red Sea last week has been called off.

The Liberian-flagged bulker Eternity C with a crew of 22 and three security guards was attacked and sunk by the Houthi last week.

The Houthi attacked Eternity C with unmanned surface vessels and six cruise and ballistic missiles on July 7, disabling the ship. The attack was renewed on July 8 with skiffs surrounding the ship, according to a UKMTO report. The ship sank on July 9 and the event was captured on video by the Houthi.

Of the 25 people onboard 10 were rescued including two of the security guards, and eight Filipino crew members. Four are believed to have been killed during the attack on the vessel, while a further 11 are missing. The Houthi say they rescued an unknown number of the crew who it says have been taken to a secure location.

Reuters reported on Sunday that the search for the remaining missing crew members has now been called off. The news agency quoted a joint statement maritime risk management company Diaplous and security firm Ambrey as saying: “The decision to end the search has been taken by the vessel’s owner reluctantly but believes that, in all the circumstances, the priority must now to be to get the 10 souls safely recovered a alive ashore.”

The Eternity C is owned and managed by Cosmoship in Greece. The vessel had a crew of 21 Filipinos and one Russian national and three armed guards including one Greek and one Indian national.

On Saturday the Philippines Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it was still trying to confirm reports that three Filipino seafarers had died in the attack.

“We strongly believe that they are still alive because their companions who survived there for more than 48 hours, floating, were rescued, and hopefully, we can also save most of those who are missing,” DMW Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, was reported as saying by The Inquirer.

However, the Philippines authorities has been unable as yet to interview the eight rescued Filipino crew members.

“One of our challenges is that we know that the Houthis have taken some. The problem is, we don’t know the exact number they have captured so we can’t say how many more we should look for,” he said.