Ten surviving seafarers from the Eternity C have been freed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels nearly five months after the Greek-owned bulker was attacked and sunk in the Red Sea.
The group, which included nine Filipino crew members, was released following sustained mediation by Oman.
According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, Houthi-run broadcaster Al-Masirah confirmed that the sailors were transferred from Sanaa to Muscat after Oman’s intervention.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez publicly thanked Oman for its role, expressing “profound gratitude” for the country’s continued humanitarian efforts on behalf of the detained crew.
The Eternity C, owned by Greek company Cosmoship, came under heavy assault over two days in early July.
On 7 July, the vessel was struck by six cruise and ballistic missiles, leaving it disabled, before being targeted again the following day by armed skiffs. By 9 July, the Houthi had released video footage showing the bulker sinking beneath the waves.
Four people on board were killed, while eight seafarers and two private security guards were rescued by security forces and transported to Saudi Arabia.
Ten others were taken by the Houthi during what the group described as a search-and-rescue operation.
They were moved to an undisclosed location ashore, where the rebels later filmed and released interviews with the survivors.
Their release marks a significant development following the Houthi’s recent suspension of attacks on Red Sea shipping after a ceasefire in Gaza.
The group had launched strikes on vessels with Israeli links since November 2023 in a self-declared show of support for Hamas in its conflict with Israel.
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