In a symbolic gesture, Stem Shipping and the company’s president, Michalis Bodouroglou, awarded the captain of the bulk carrier Magic Seas, which was attacked with missiles and torpedoes by the Houthis in the Red Sea.
He congratulated captain Mihai Staicu for his courage and for the leadership qualities he demonstrated, in order to ultimately save his crew, before the Houthis boarded and ultimately blew it up, in a setting that referred to a Hollywood movie.
As Bodouroglu said, the ship was attacked, despite the fact that it was not destined for Israel. The Houthis claim that they are attacking a ship carrying cargo to or from Israel. Its journey began in China, reached South Korea, and was destined for Turkey.
Critical role
The award of the captain, by the company where he has been working steadily for a decade, highlighted, among other things, the role that seamen play as “key workers” for society and the economy. A role that is often not recognized, with a prime example during the pandemic, when dozens of sailors were unable to return to their country and remained on ships for more than 18 months.
In his statement, Bodouroglou said that the ship had been fighting for eight hours to escape the Houthis and that the nearest warship was about a day and a half away.
He also noted that despite the fact that communications had been cut off due to the fire they had received, the satellite-based wi-fi connection gave the crew the opportunity to have constant contact with the mainland.
