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Three Seafarers Dead in Houthi Attack on Greek-Owned Bulker

Houthi boats
Houthi patrol boats in the Red Sea (Fars News file image)

Published Jul 8, 2025 12:57 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

After repeated attacks by Houthi rebels, the bulker Eternity C has lost propulsion, and three members of her crew are dead, according to EUNAVFOR and maritime risk management consultancy Vanguard Tech.  

The Eternity C was under way on a voyage from Berbera to Jeddah with a cargo of soy and 22 crewmembers aboard when it was attacked by armed militants in skiffs southwest of Hodeidah, the Yemeni port controlled by the Houthi rebel faction. On July 7, the vessel was attacked three times by as many as eight boats firing small arms and RPGs, resulting in three dead, two injured, significant engine room damage and loss of propulsion, EUNAVFOR Operation Aspides and Vanguard Tech reported.

Houthi boats returned for a fourth attack on July 8, and the incident is ongoing. The ship's lifeboats have reportedly been destroyed, leaving the crew unable to abandon ship. No warships are present in the vicinity to respond, and nearby good samaritans have been unable to assist because of the continued threat of an attack. 

The deceased reportedly include the chief engineer, an oiler, and an engineering cadet, consistent with an attack on the engine room. One of the injured, an electrician, reportedly lost a leg. 

A video circulating on maritime social media appears to provide VHF audio of Eternity C's distress call during the attack, including the crew's urgent request for medical assistance for the wounded. 

Yemen's Houthi rebels have yet to claim responsibility for the attack on Eternity C, but the event occurred in a Houthi-dominated region and the group has claimed a nearly identical attack on the bulker Magic Seas last weekend. 

"The recent period of relative calm may have led to a sense of reduced urgency across parts of the industry to carry out ownership affiliation checks," said Vanguard Tech head of intelligence Ellie Shafik. "However, the pause in Houthi activity did not necessarily indicate a change in underlying intent. As long as the conflict in Gaza persists, vessels with affiliations [with Israel] - both perceived and actual - will continue to face elevated risks." 

Vanguard Tech noted that Eternity C's owner has multiple other ships that have called at Israeli ports, including Haifa, which is under a remote "blockade" by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Vanguard identified these vessels as the HSL Nike, which called Haifa last month, and Faith, which called at Ashdod in November. The Houthis have previously threatened to attack the interests of shipowners who have any vessels that call in Israel, and the group did not withdraw that threat after a partial ceasefire was agreed with the U.S. earlier this year. 

The group has released a video of its earlier attack on the Magic Seas, and it shows that the vessel was boarded by militants after the crew abandoned ship. As in previous Houthi sinkings, it was mined with explosive charges in order to send it below. The vessel settled slowly in the water and sank on an even keel.