72 hour search fails to find man lost at sea

After 72 hours, extensive search efforts led by the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) has failed to find the crew member of the commercial ship Contship Oak reported lost at sea.

The JRCC received a distress call from the ship about a missing individual at 11.20am on Thursday.

The Contship Oak was sailing under the Liberian flag in a maritime area located on northwestern tip of the JRCC area of operation.

Once it received the call, the JRCC activated the Nearchos rescue plan, mobilising as many as 31 vessels to try and locate the missing crew member.

Both the ship owning company and Cyprus’ maritime state registry were informed of the incident and of the efforts, to date unsuccessful, to rescue the individual.

“The search and rescue mission demonstrates Cyprus’ commitment to ensuring the safety and security of maritime activities in its territorial waters,” JRCC said.

“We remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any future incidents or emergencies at sea.”