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.

Embassy coordinates with Saudi authorities

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.

Food shortages and deteriorating conditions

Abu Bakr said the sailors suffered severe shortages of food, drinking water and fuel during their six-month ordeal at sea.

As electricity supplies dwindled, the crew was forced to ration power despite the intense heat and humidity in the Red Sea.

The captain said the crisis began when maritime inspectors and port authorities in Jazan refused to allow the vessel to enter port for loading operations because of its poor technical condition and lack of seaworthiness.

He added that the vessel’s owner, a Yemeni businessman who had purchased the ship only six months earlier, later withdrew from shipping agency arrangements and disappeared, leaving financial obligations unresolved.

Abu Bakr said Saudi border guard and port officials subsequently boarded the vessel to investigate the situation. He provided documentation and records that, he said, demonstrated that the crew bore no responsibility for the ship’s condition.

Aging vessel posed safety risks

The captain described the vessel as more than 45 years old and plagued by serious structural and mechanical defects.

He said holes in the hull, keel and ballast tanks caused water leaks, while aging generators and a malfunctioning main engine further threatened the vessel’s safety.

Abu Bakr said contacting the Syrian Embassy marked a turning point in the case, prompting official efforts to pressure the shipping agent to address the situation.

He praised embassy staff for their intervention, which led to the sailors being transferred to Jeddah ahead of their planned return to Syria.

During the ordeal, Abu Bakr said he wrote his first book, Healing Begins with Returning to God, a manuscript of about 120 pages inspired by his experiences and reflections while stranded at sea.