Stricken Red Sea ship is taking on water as it awaits salvage

A ship that was abandoned after being hit by a drone in the Red Sea is slowly taking on water, with two vessels on their way to try and rescue it. 

The crew of the Tutor, which was the first vessel to be hit with a waterborne explosive launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, were rescued by a US Navy ship, according to a statement from US Central Command. One seafarer was missing after the attack. A salvage company said Friday it has dispatched two tug boats to the ship. 

The Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the end of last year, a move they say is in protest against Israel’s war with Hamas. The knock-on effect has been a disruption to world shipping that has sent swaths of the global fleet sailing thousands of miles around Africa. 

Centcom also said that it had destroyed two more sea drones Friday, as well as seven radars allowing the Houthis to target ships.

A second ship that caught fire this week has resumed its journey after its crew extinguished the blaze, the statement said.