The entire crew of the cargo ship EILEEN in distress in the Black Sea has been rescued

The rescue operation in the Black Sea has successfully ended with the rescue of the entire crew of the cargo ship EILEEN, the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced. The operation was carried out by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) - Varna, and thanks to the quick and effective response, the safety of the sailors was ensured.

At 1:14 p.m. yesterday, a signal was received about a cargo ship with a hole in the side and incoming water. According to the signal, the ship EILEEN, which flies under the Cameroonian flag, is located in the Bulgarian search and rescue sea area, about 140 nautical miles east of Varna. The crew of 10 Ukrainian sailors left the ship with two life rafts. According to initial information, the vessel has listed - it has tilted, and the crew was unable to control the situation on its own.

Following a request for assistance from the Bulgarian Navy, a helicopter was sent to the scene of the incident, and the corvette “Bodri“ was put on alert. In cooperation with the Turkish ship Morat Ilhan, the two life rafts were found and located, and the 10 Ukrainian sailors on board the cargo ship were evacuated and placed on board the Turkish ship, the Ministry of Transport added.

The on-site medical examination confirmed that no air evacuation was necessary and the sailors were transported to a Turkish port. The last of the crew was loaded onto the Turkish auxiliary ship at 19:31.

The Bulgarian Navy helicopter returned to base, and the Bulgarian and Romanian boats were released from the operation. The operation was carried out in a very short time and ended successfully, the Ministry of Transport also stated.