RIYADH: The Syrian Embassy in Riyadh helped rescue five Syrian sailors who had been stranded aboard a deteriorating vessel off Saudi Arabia’s Jazan port for six months, coordinating with Saudi authorities to bring them ashore after receiving an emergency distress call.
The crew, including the ship’s captain, endured shortages of food, drinking water and fuel, while also facing harsh weather conditions in the Red Sea.
Captain Walid Mohammad Abu Bakr, a native of Syria’s Arwad Island, told SANA that the vessel’s owner had abandoned the crew, leaving them exposed to difficult and potentially dangerous conditions.
The embassy said it received a distress call through its emergency hotline from Abu Bakr, who reported that he and four other Syrian sailors were stranded off Jazan and unable to continue their voyage because of deteriorating living conditions aboard the vessel.
Embassy officials immediately contacted the relevant Saudi authorities to arrange assistance and facilitate the sailors’ entry into the Kingdom.
According to the embassy, the intervention came as part of its responsibility to protect Syrian citizens abroad and respond to emergency situations. It also expressed appreciation to the Saudi authorities for their cooperation in resolving the matter.
Abu Bakr said the sailors suffered severe shortages of food, drinking water and fuel during their six-month ordeal at sea.
