One crew member is missing and presumed dead after a Greek-owned bulker was struck during a Houthi drone boat attack near Yemen last week.
The vessel, Tutor, was abandoned in the Red Sea after a remote-controlled boat hit the bulker about 66 nautical miles south-west of Hudaydah, in a sensitive area of the stern on June 12. The engine room was flooded and the vessel lost power.
One crewman, a Filipino, who is believed to have been trapped in the engine room, is missing and presumed dead. The rest of the 21 crew members were safely evacuated and taken to Djibouti from where they will be flown home.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has warned in an incident report that the bulker is drifting in the Red Sea and that it is unlit. A salvage team is only expected to reach the vessel this week.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and to report any suspicious activity,” UKMTO warned.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, criticised the attack.
"Once again, I am appalled at the fact that seafarers going about their work continue to be targeted and injured. I am truly saddened to learn that one crew member is currently unaccounted for on merchant vessel Tutor, following an attack on the ship in the Red Sea,” Dominguez said.
“My thoughts and those of IMO, are with the family of the crew member. I strongly condemn any type of attack against international shipping, regardless of its motivation or cause,” he added.
Dominguez demanded all governments and relevant organisations to provide maximum assistance to affected seafarers, and to spare no effort to resolve the crisis.
“This situation cannot go on. Everybody is going to feel the negative effect if international shipping is not able to trade as normal. But our commitment is, above all, to ensure the safety of all seafarers,” he said.
Meanwhile, global maritime risk management firm, Ambrey, issued a public circular highlighting the latest security threats in the region, based on its analysis of the attack.
The report noted that Houthi rebels used early versions of drone boats during the initial phase of the Yemeni Civil War but switched to using mostly missiles and airborne drones since November 2023.
The latest attacks on commercial vessels are now being launched using fibreglass or wooden fishing boats, which is in line with UKMTO’s description of the vessel that hit the Tutor, as being five to seven metres long.
Ambrey warned that rebels place dummies on the drone boats to mask the threat. During past incidents a second boat was seen in the area where the drone vessel was believed to be controlled.
One of the drone boats was found after it washed up near the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in January 2024, Ambrey reported. It contained 25 kilograms of C4 and 50kg of TNT explosives and had three electronic contact switches for the detonation.
Ambrey advised high-risk vessels to consider re-routing and recommended that crews have a safe gathering point well above the waterline, and that all deck movements be stopped when sailing near Yemen.
