Three months after the terrifying rebel attack Houthi In the Red Sea, in Greek interests ship Magic Seas, a 10-minute television document published today, Sunday (12/10/2025), RES-EIA, brings to the forefront of the people who lived the attack.
The Romanian captain of the merchant ship of Greek interests Magic Seas, Mihai-Codrut Staicu and shipowner Michalis Bodouroglou speak exclusively to the camera and describe the dramatic moments that each lived in his post when a calm routine He turned into a shooting range and lived an unprecedented military operation that resulted in the sinking of the ship by Houthi.
The testimonies recorded in the video are accompanied by audio and television documents, exclusive photos released by the Houthi guerrillas themselves and shots taken crew members.
Captain remembers The sound of the alarm, the approaching rocket, and the seconds that separated life from the danger. “Our job is the sea,” he says, “but that day, the sea became a battlefield.”
The attack
It all started when at the July 6, 2025 The captain accepted a call from the service officer that he had to stop the ship. He climbed the bridge and replied that “it has a legal load, sails in international waters and that it should not be prevented in the course for the next landing port”. His message was not heard and in a few minutes the attack began.
‘We felt a big noise and tremor like big weapons, I don’t know, RPG or C-Draws or a rocket where a rocket hit the boat. I noticed a little smoke coming from the number 4 cargo room, first of all, where we have fertilizers and then load in South Korea. Then I ordered the chief engineer to launch CO2 to extinguish the fire. Shortly thereafter, we also noticed in the Loading Room number 2, the same as fertilizers, tobacco, the same as the fire extinguishing there and continue our journey, our way, our journey at full speed.
But soon, more and more explosions are coming. I noticed that the large tank was filled with water, which means that They hit the front. Then we noticed a Great hole in the engine room, coming from the south side, passing a freshwater tank, which flooded the main engine.
The main engine It still operated on its own due to a reduction in the parameters, until finally, I don’t remember now at the time, stopped. We were getting ready to abandon the boat, even though we didn’t want to, neither for ourselves, nor for the crew, the best means of survival is the boat, but because we have no power supply, I mean no power supply, nor the main machine to continue this journey, It was a great risk to stay there because of the possibility that Yemen’s Houthi would come to us as hostages. So we left the boat. “
Michalis Bodouroglou, president of Stem Shipping on his part, excited because the captain managed to save 22 crew people He talks about the anxiety of communication, the fear of his crew and respect for people who continue to travel to open warfares and describes how his company reacted when he learned the incident and explains what Hutth said about the attack on a ship ship.
“This attack, the clash, the military attack on the ship, because it was about it, happened to a ‘real time’ for us. That is, he was the captain on the phones with the company with the company Emergency Response Team, with the captains of the company, was in touch. Initially even the captain believed that they were pirates. “ Mr Bodouroglou notes and continues:
‘That is, so, if you want, unsuspecting we were in relation to Houthi, that the master thought at first that it was an attack of pirates, Somalons, etc. Later he understood, when He began to see drones and falling rockets, then he realized that he was now a military operation. To say that This trip had nothing to do with Israel. You know, if we were going to Israel, if we had a load for Israelis etc, we would avoid doing so. We would still consider it to normalize, the plan that had happened and announced in the press and everywhere. However, we would also consider it a high risk. “
“But because this trip has nothing to do with Israel and this ship the last time it had gone to Israel was about two years ago, we thought it was safe as other ships. That is, there is no Greek shipowner who does not go to Israel. I don’t know someone who doesn’t go, “Mr. Vodouroglou stresses
“We all go to Israel. And that was, let’s say, thunderbolt. The update we had was that The nearest warship to the area could not reach the ship before at least one hour passed. That is, there was no case of external aid. Captain and crew were alone and They had to do what God enlightens them and what we advised them. And the captain took them, as we mentioned before, he went famous. His temper was impressive, the protocols that followed. The ship of course was lost, but okay. The ship is already replaced. Human lives are what is not replaced“He adds.
On Wednesday 8/10 was awarded at home at a special ceremony by Magic Seas Captain for the bravery and his leadership attitude where saved 22 lives. “When I saw the footage from the incident, when I heard the captain’s voice addressing the Houthi commander with the phrase” Do Not Impede My Safe Passage “, (MTF don’t block the safe wealth) I really felt awe,” Michalis Bodourou said at the event.
Source: RES-EIA