One killed after tug sinks while assisting cruise ship in Patmos, Greece

One person was killed after a tug that was assisting in the mooring of an arriving cruise ship sank off the Greek island of Patmos on Friday, October 21.

Two crewmembers were on board the harbour tug Pothitos III when it was providing mooring assistance for the cruise ship Azamara Journey following the latter’s arrival at the Port of Patmos.

The tug sank at around 06:40 local time. However, local investigators said the circumstances that led to the sinking remain unclear.

The 26-year-old deckhand jumped into the water as the tug started to sink. He was later rescued by the crew of a small launch deployed by the cruise ship.

The 45-year-old captain remained on board the tug as it slipped beneath the waves. He was subsequently found unresponsive inside the wreck and was pronounced deceased shortly after he was brought to a nearby health centre.

Port authorities assured that no pollution has been detected from the sunken tug and that an investigation into the incident has been launched.