Traveling through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden continues to be dangerous for shipping crews as Houthi rebels in Yemen launch attacks. The most recent attack sunk a Liberian-flagged bulker called the Tutor. After evacuating and abandoning the ship, it sank in the Red Sea.
The Attack on the Tutor
The Tutor was a Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged bulker. The attack occurred on June 12 near the port of Hodeidah in Yemen. The Houthi rebel group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Tutor and on a ship called Verbena a few days earlier.
The Tutor was mostly crewed by workers from the Philippines and was on its way to India. The rescued crew members described seeing a small fishing boat approach the port side of the bulker. What appeared to be two people on the boat were dummies. The boat was carrying a remote-controlled bomb that detonated as it struck the ship. A drone hit the other side of the ship.
The ship’s crew was stuck on the damaged vessel for ten hours. A U.S. Navy helicopter crew rescued them, airlifting them to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier. One person, an embarked local security contractor, could not be found and is thought to have become trapped in the sinking vessel.
Ongoing Houthi Attacks Make Red Sea Shipping Dangerous for Crew Members
The Houthi rebel group in Yemen formed in the 1990s but came to prominence after 2014 when it rebelled against the country’s government. The civil war in Yemen continues, with the Houthis now controlling most of the country.
The group’s attacks on ships in the area began as a response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. The Houthis have mostly targeted ships associated with Israel, but not exclusively. The Red Sea is part of an important shipping route that makes use of the Suez Canal.
The attack on the Tutor is just the latest of at least 40 attacks on ships in the area by the Houthi rebels. While ship owners and companies with cargo affected by these attacks have suffered losses, the workers crewing the ships risk injuries and even death.
In March, a Houthi attack on the cargo ship True Confidence left three crew members dead. Four other workers were injured in the incident. In November 2023, Houthis captured the care carrier Galaxy Leader. Crew members from Bulgaria, the Philippines, Mexico, Romania, and the Ukraine are still being held in Yemen.
Even the crew members of ships that have not been attacked are suffering. Workers report high levels of stress and anxiety and being unable to sleep when passing through the danger zone.
The latest attack on a commercial vessel in the area highlights the ongoing danger for crew members who must traverse the Red Sea. The U.S. leads a coalition of more than 20 countries trying to protect commercial vessels traveling through the area, but the attacks continue to put maritime workers at risk.