A CYPRIOT sailor was recovering in a Bermudan hospital yesterday after sustaining serious injuries to his face and chest when a wave struck his ship on Thursday, killing the ship’s captain and chief engineer.
The 34-year-old second mate of the Aegean Angel oil tanker was sailing from Tallinn, Estonia to Houston, Texas and was 790 nautical miles off the coast of Bermuda when it encountered rough seas and Beaufort force eight winds.
The tragedy occurred when the three sailors ventured onto the forward deck to inspect for storm damage during high seas. A large wave struck the boat, injuring Ioannou and mortally wounding the 47-year-old captain Demetrius Bozoni and 33-year-old chief engineer Athanasios Papageorgiou, who were both Greek.
The US Coast Guard said on Sunday “The captain and the 1st mate of the vessel were killed, and the 2nd mate was injured while inspecting the vessel’s integrity during high seas Thursday. Coast Guard… helicopter crews from Air Station Elizabeth City flew to Bermuda Saturday to assist in the recovery of the injured man and to transfer two replacement officers to the vessel.”
The US Coast Guard helicopter crews remained grounded until Sunday morning. In the mean time the ship proceeded to between 150 and 180 miles off the Bermudan coast.
The Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre’s report on Sunday said: “At 0830am (Sunday) the US Coast Guard H60 Search and Rescue Helicopter took off from the Bermuda Airport to proceed approximately 150 miles east-northeast of Bermuda. The helicopter made its rendezvous with the tanker Aegean Angel and safely winched onboard the seriously injured Chief Officer.”
Ioannou, who is from Paphos, was then transported to the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Hamilton, Bermuda where he was recovering yesterday.
Senior Chief Petty Officer Carla Harsh of the Coast Guard 5th District said of the incident: “Although the unfortunate environmental circumstances proved fatal for two crewmembers, the multi-international agency joint coordination provided exceptional support ensuring the injured crewmember received prompt medical assistance.”
The Aegean Angel is run by Athens based Arcadia Shipmanagement ltd.
