A serious maritime incident occurred on the night of July 24, 2025, when the Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship MN KOSTAS ran aground on a reef three nautical miles west of Cape Sideros, Crete, within the protected Natura area.

Swift action by the authorities led to the timely evacuation and rescue of the crew, while a marine assistance operation was immediately launched on the initiative of the shipowner, who assigned management to SEAGATE. Two tugboats, Captain Dimitris III and Captain Dimitris IV, rushed to the scene, while decisive was the deployment of the salvage vessel AIGAION PELAGOS by the Hellenic Coast Guard’s Operations Center.

The force of the grounding caused extensive damage to nearly all ballast tanks as well as to Cargo Hold No. 1, making refloating impossible and rendering the vessel’s sinking inevitable. Adverse weather conditions, with winds of 7–8 Beaufort, further worsened the situation, forcing other rescue assets to seek shelter at the port of Sitia.

The operation focused on preventing a major ecological disaster in Eastern Crete. With the assistance of the AIGAION PELAGOS and its rescue team, the vessel’s fuel was successfully pumped out and temporarily stored in the salvage ship’s tanks, while hydrocarbons, lubricating oils, paints, and other polluting substances were also removed.

The General Operations Director of MEGATUGS, Mr. Anastasios Magiatis, stressed:
“The continuous presence of the salvage vessel AIGAION PELAGOS, despite the adverse weather conditions that prevailed, was decisive for ensuring navigation safety in the incident area.”