With only the ship’s bridge visible just above the surface, the Hellenic Navy’s S-70B helicopter is making an enormous effort to save the 9 men of a merchant ship that ran aground at the Greek island of Andros.

The video released by the Hellenic Navy is breathtaking and a testament to the bravery of those men that save lives regardless of the conditions.

The ship’s crew were rescued literally just as the ship went under.

The operation lasted from 6 a.m. to 8:20’ and it was particularly dangerous for the SAR crew, because of the surrounding rocky terrain and the powerful side wind gusts of 7 Beauforts or 30 knots, combined with rain and limited visibility.

The merchant ship “Cabrera” run aground on the shores of Andros during the early hours at dawn and the members requested their immediate evacuation.

The crew, three Polish, one Ukrainian, one Lithuanian and four Filipinos, were transferred to the Hellenic Navy’s Helicopter Base at Kotroni, Marathon.
The ship, which is loaded with 3.500 tons of iron and it carries 20 tons of fuel, was on her way to Finland.