Red Sea attacks
Too terrified to sleep in their cabins after coming under attack from Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, the crew of the oil tanker huddled together in corridors.
Their ship was just one of numerous vessels facing what was described as the most sustained naval fight since World War II. In this case, the attack had started in the Gulf of Aden and continued into the Red Sea.
Panic-stricken and traumatised, one crew member reached out to Sailors’ Society CRN team, to chaplain Ailton de Souza.
Ailton is part of the global team available 24/7, 365 days a year to seafarers and their families via instant message or phone call.
Luckily in this case, despite the Houthi’s missiles causing damage to the ship, none of the crew were seriously injured or killed.
“Some of the missiles came from above and the last one came from an unmanned boat,” said Aliton.
“They were very scared because they received a message from the terrorists, who identified themselves as Houthis, over the radio, claiming responsibility for the attack.
“Due to emotional and psychological problems, the crew members could barely perform their duties on board – they were crying, did not eat well, slept together in the corridors out of fear, suffered panic attacks, woke up at any noise and had constant nightmares.
“In one of our conversations, the seaman said he was very grateful that I was always in touch with him, listening to what he had to say. At other times, after our chat, he said he would sleep better after finishing his shift.”
The seafarer and a number of his crewmates were treated in hospital and finally reunited with their families back home.
Other CRN case studies
Piracy
In October 2016, the survivors of the Taiwan-owned fishing vessel, Naham 3, were finally released after being held for almost five years by Somali pirates. Traumatised and malnourished, Sailors’ Society CRN team were on hand to help.
Shipwreck
In February 2022, the crew Tresta Star was bunkering (taking on diesel fuel) in mid Indian Ocean when Cyclone Batsirai hit.
False imprisonment
The CRN team were contacted in August 2022. A crew of 16 Indians, eight Sri Lankans, one Polish and one Filipino national, had been detained by Nigerian authorities, accused of attempted oil theft and faking a piracy attack. All part of a wider political dispute.
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