Turkish Coast Guard Evacuates Crew to Shore from Grounded Ship
The Turkish Coast Guard reports it was required to use a breeches buoy system to evacuate the crew of a small cargo ship that grounded near the northern entrance to the Bosphorus. Weather conditions were too severe for it to attempt a sea-based evacuation, instead forcing it to evacuate the crew to land.
The Turkish-owned cargo ship BYB Othello called for assistance around 0240 local time on November 6. The Directorate General of Coastal Safety reports the 5,000-dwt ship suffered a mechanical failure, which was later said to have been a failure of its main engine. The 97-meter (318-foot) cargo vessel was driven ashore by the high seas and severe weather conditions near the Istanbul Anadolu Lighthouse.
The ship, which was built in 2008 and is currently registered in St. Kitts and Nevis, was reportedly bound for Ukraine. It had a crew of 13 aboard.
Kocaeli’den Ukrayna’ya seyir halindeyken ?stanbul Anadolu Feneri aç?klar?nda makine ar?zas? ya?ayan ve karaya oturan BYB OTHELLO isimli 97 metre boyundaki kuru yük gemisi için Ula?t?rma ve Altyap? Bakanl??? K?y? Emniyeti Genel Müdürlü?ümüze ait BAYRAK-1 Botumuz ve KURTARMA-11 Römorkörümüz olay yerine ivedilikle yönlendirilmi?tir. A??r hava ve deniz ?artlar?ndan dolay? yard?m ve tahliye talebinde bulunan gemiye, denizden müdahalenin uygun olmamas? nedeniyle kara tahlisiye (can kurtarma) ekibimiz geleneksel varagele sistemi vas?tas?yla kazazede gemideki 13 personelin tamam?n? emniyetle karadan tahliye etmi?tir.
— KEGM (@kiyiemniyet) November 6, 2026
The authorities reported that the rescue vessel Bayak-1 and the tug Kurtarma-11 were dispatched and reached the area. However, the weather was too severe to attempt a rescue.
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Around 0600 this morning, the breeches buoy system was deployed. It took the Coast Guard about half an hour to bring the crewmembers to safety on shore.
The vessel, which has a spotty record, remains grounded. Over the past 17 months, BYB Othello underwent six Port State inspections with a total of 90 deficiencies recorded. The most recent inspection a week and a half ago lists 17 issues, including hull and structural condition deficiencies as well as stowage of liferafts and fire safety concerns.
