On Day 7, search continues for 10 missing crew members of the Tuğberk İmamoğlu after its sinking in the Sea of Marmara following a collision.
Hopeful Vigil for 10 Missing Crew Members of Tuğberk İmamoğlu
Search and rescue operations for the 10 missing crew members of the ship named 'Tuğberk İmamoğlu,' which sank after colliding with the vessel 'Alsu' in the Sea of Marmara, continue on the 7th day. While families maintain their hopeful vigil at the Silivri coast, efforts are also being evaluated to bring the sunken ship's living quarters to the surface.
Following the collision between the ships 'Alsu' and 'Tuğberk İmamoğlu' off the coast of Silivri on September 2, search and rescue operations have been ongoing without interruption to reach the 10 missing crew members aboard the sunken 'Tuğberk İmamoğlu.'
The Coast Guard Command, the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, and elements of the Naval Forces Command are conducting extensive search and rescue activities in the region to locate the missing crew members.
At the Silivri coast, the families of the missing crew members continue to wait at a crisis center established under the coordination of the district governor's office and AFAD. The needs of the families, who have been waiting for good news for 7 days, are being met by teams from the Turkish Red Crescent and AFAD.
New Options for Raising the Wreck
Surayya Keleş, daughter of Nidai Duman, who served as a deck bosun on the Tuğberk İmamoğlu, reported that the Silivri District Governor Murat Eren informed them last night that a firm was consulted about whether the sunken ship could be raised from its location.
Keleş stated that this development is promising for them and mentioned that it is still unknown whether any crew member can be found in the sunken ship.
Keleş noted that work is continuing with an ROV device and mentioned that a boat and balloon system were discussed to bring the living quarters to the surface.
She indicated that the progress of this operation depends on the analysis from the firm that was consulted, saying, 'This is the latest information shared with us. Of course, this has also become a great hope for us. That’s why we continue to wait.'
'One of Those 3 People is Probably My Father'
Keleş stated that they were informed that 3 crew members might be on deck.
She mentioned that her father served as a deck bosun on the ship, saying, 'My father is a deck bosun, they call him 'reis.' Probably one of those 3 people on deck is my father. Because my father had responsibilities on the ship and was very knowledgeable.'
'This Was My Father's Last Voyage'
Keleş explained that her father had 28 years of experience at sea and had been working for the same company for 10 years, stating that this was his last voyage.
She shared that her father had also told his relatives about this situation, noting that their last phone conversation took place exactly a week ago.
Keleş said, 'He told everyone the same thing. In our last conversation a week ago today, he said the same thing. 'I’m coming, don’t worry. My phone is on, call whenever you want, we’ll talk again,' he said. I replied, 'Okay.' Our last conversation was a week ago today.'
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
