Three crew members from the tanker anchored near Ahtopol were evacuated by the Bulgarian Navy, the press services of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Transport and Communications announced. The operation took place after it became clear that three of the sailors were in poor health.
According to information from the commander of the Navy, Rear Admiral Kiril Mihaylov, and Rumen Nikolov, head of the General Directorate “Emergency Rescue Activities” at the Executive Agency Maritime Administration (EAMA), the ship is anchored stably and does not pose a threat to the coast. Today, the teams delivered food, water and communication means on board with the help of a helicopter from the “Chayka” air base. The same helicopter also evacuated the three crew members, who were handed over to the Border Police.
The remaining seven people on board are provided with food, water and a diesel generator. Tomorrow, the evacuation of another four people is planned, by decision of the shipowner, and three people will remain on board to carry out his instructions.
Rumen Nikolov specified that the owning company is Chinese and intends to retain ownership of the ship. There are no indications of a risk of fuel leakage. Tomorrow, a meeting with the Turkish ambassador is planned to clarify the circumstances.
The operation was complicated by the severe weather conditions, and the delivery and evacuation were carried out by hovering. A rescuer from the Navy led the actions on the deck.