Tugboat sinks in Romania’s Midia Port, one crew member dead and four missing

Update: A second deceased sailor has been recovered from the wreck of the tugboat Astana that sank off Midia Port, following a complex intervention by military divers, Libertatea.ro reported. The tragedy occurred in the Black Sea on Wednesday, March 18, and three crew members are still missing.

Initial story: A tugboat sank on Wednesday, March 18, in Midia Port, Constanța County, with five people reportedly on board, triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Authorities confirmed that one crew member has died, while four others remain missing, Digi24 reported.

Emergency services were alerted shortly after the incident occurred in the port area, with multiple response teams dispatched to the scene. Firefighters, SMURD crews, ambulances, and rescue boats were joined by divers carrying out search operations both at the surface and underwater.

One person was recovered by rescuers, and resuscitation efforts were attempted, but the victim was later pronounced dead. The remaining four crew members have not yet been found, and officials say the chances of survival are low.

At the time this story was published, search and rescue operations were ongoing, involving several vessels and teams of divers, including both military personnel and specialized rescue divers. Authorities are working in coordination with port operators as efforts continue to locate the missing crew.

The causes of the incident have not yet been established, and an investigation is expected to determine the circumstances that led to the sinking. At this moment, there is no information linking the incident to any naval mine, representatives of the Ministry of National Defense told Hotnews.ro.

(Photo source: Remus Grigore/Dreamstime.com)