The Turkish-flagged tug Ayaz Bey collided with the unmanned ship Mentor in bad weather off Neptun, Romania, on Wednesday, November 4, while towing the vessel towards Turkey.
Ayaz Bey was working with the tug Ramazan Bey to tow the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged Mentor, which had earlier been damaged near Odessa, Ukraine.
Romania's Ministry of Internal Affairs said the towing connections broke overnight in adverse weather and were restored before the collision. The Romanian Naval Authority said the tug developed problems with its propulsion system before striking its tow. Ayaz Bey transmitted a mayday at about 04:20 local time.
Three of the tug's seven Turkish crew transferred to the Netherlands-flagged tug Odin for transport to Mangalia. The other four refused evacuation, stating they did not need assistance.
The ministry initially announced that the tug had sunk. It later revised this to say the vessel had been in danger of sinking.
The naval authority later said Ayaz Bey had been stabilised and anchored at Mangalia, with no casualties. It said Mentor drifted temporarily after the towline broke and was later reported drifting in Bulgarian waters.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Constanța coordinated the response. The Border Police Coast Guard and the emergency situations inspectorate each sent a vessel, alongside the search and rescue vessel Ares. Strong winds and very rough seas prevented the use of aircraft.
Built in 1981, the 36.23-metre Ayaz Bey is operated by Istanbul-based PGE Tugs and has a published towing force of 30 tonnes. The company said the tug towed the drone-damaged cargo ship Victress to Turkish waters earlier this year.
