The Syrian Embassy in Saudi Arabia rescues 5 Syrian sailors who were stranded on a ship owned by a Yemeni off Jizan

(CNN) - The Syrian embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, announced on Saturday that it was able to rescue 5 Syrian sailors, including a captain, and facilitate their entry into Saudi territory, thereby ending “marine suffering that lasted 6 months off the port of Jizan.”

This came in a report published by the official Syrian News Agency, which stated: “The Syrian embassy in Riyadh moved immediately upon receiving a distress call via the emergency line, and coordinated directly with the competent authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rescue 5 Syrian sailors, including a captain, and facilitate their entry into the Kingdom’s territory, thus ending maritime suffering that lasted six months off the port of Jizan.”

The agency added in its report: “Captain Walid Muhammad Abu Bakr, who hails from Arwad Island, narrated the details of the incident, explaining that he found himself and his crew facing the unknown amidst the storms of the Red Sea and running out of supplies and fuel, after the ship’s owner abandoned them and left them exposed to danger and disease, before a glimmer of hope emerged with the response of the Syrian embassy in Riyadh and the cooperation of the Saudi authorities.”

She continued: “In the details of the official response, the Syrian embassy in Riyadh reported that it had received, through the emergency line designated to serve citizens, a distress call from Captain Abu Bakr, in which he explained that his ship was stuck off the port of Jazan, with four Syrian sailors on board alongside him, under harsh humanitarian and living conditions that prevented them from continuing their journey. The embassy confirmed that it immediately took the initiative to follow up on the situation after receiving the report. Sailors, and began direct communication and coordination with the competent authorities in Saudi Arabia to facilitate the procedures for their entry into its territory and to provide the necessary assistance to ensure their safety.

The captain highlighted the conditions that his crew went through, and that “hunger, thirst, and running out of fuel besieged the crew, forcing them to ration electricity consumption despite the high temperatures in the Red Sea,” pointing out that “the crisis began when marine inspectors and the port administration in Jizan refused to receive the ship for shipping, due to its deteriorating technical condition and its inability to sail,” pointing out that “its owner, a new Yemeni merchant in the maritime sector, had not purchased the ship for a while.” Only six months before he withdrew from the maritime agency and disappeared, evading his financial obligations and leaving the crew to face the unknown.

The captain went on to say, “Officers from the border guards and port administration boarded the ship to investigate him, and he presented them with documents and records proving the crew’s innocence, which contributed to disclaiming his responsibility and appreciating his cooperation and professionalism.”

Regarding the condition of the ship, the captain said, “It is more than 45 years old, and it suffers from serious faults, most notably holes in its bottom, the main keel, and the ballast tanks, which caused water leakage, in addition to the collapse of the electricity generators and the low efficiency of the main engine.”