Active search of crewmembers of dry cargo ship Geroi Arsenala that sank in the Black Sea is over. The search covered the area of 350 square nautical miles of water surface, say news agency RIA Novosti with reference to Rosmorrechflot representative.
According to the source, major search activities were finished at 17:30 Moscow time on 20 April 2017. Rosmorrechflot (Federal Marine and River Transport Agency) says the operation involved 13 vessels and two helicopters of Russia's Ministry for Emergency Situations and Civil Defense. By the end of the search operation, only 6 vessels were deployed with rescue ship Spasatel Demidov (Marine Rescue Service of Rosmorrechflot) as the leading ship.
“The search covered the area of 350 square nautical miles of water surface. …no signs of the crewmembers of dry cargo ship Geroi Arsenala were found,” said the spokesman adding that vessels involved in the operation left for their places of permanent deployment.
According to Rosmorrechflot representative, no signs of oil spill were seen.
Rosmorrechflot added that the search is continued by vessels passing the area.
Dry cargo ship Geroi Arsenala (Gunes Shipping, Turkey, flag of Panama) wrecked on April 19 in the Black Sea. A SOS signal from the master was registered at about 04:00 Moscow time. The vessel had a twelve-strong crew consisting of nine Ukrainians, two Russians and a Georgian. A motorman (Ukrainian) was rescued and the bodies of three more sailors were recovered from water while the plight of fate of eight crewmembers remains unknown.
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Worn dry cargo ship Geroi Arsenala was sold by Ukrrichflot (Ukraine) to Gunes Shipping (Turkey) 4 years ago >>>>