Although Vaggelis Staridas—the Greek armed guard who miraculously survived 48 harrowing hours at sea following the Houthi attack on a commercial vessel in the Red Sea—has been rescued by an international mission and transferred to a security ship, his ordeal is far from over.

He has been stranded for days off the coast of Jeddah, as Saudi authorities refuse to allow disembarkation of the survivors.

Staridas, like other survivors, has sustained leg injuries and is in serious physical and emotional distress. The ship he’s aboard belongs to a Cyprus-based security company and carries armed personnel—a major point of contention. Under Saudi law, armed individuals are strictly forbidden from disembarking at civilian ports, even in emergencies.

Despite appeals and coordinated efforts by the Greek consul in Jeddah, the issue remains unresolved.

Authorities continue to enforce bureaucratic regulations rigidly, even as people who have survived a terrorist attack and prolonged exposure at sea are simply requesting medical assistance.

Reportedly, a workaround has been proposed: transferring the wounded via a support vessel (known as a “launch”) to avoid armed personnel entering the port. However, even this alternative is facing inexplicable delays.

Scenes from the ship are disheartening: injured men lying on stretchers, exhausted and in shock, without adequate medical support. The lack of immediate intervention could worsen their condition, with potentially serious consequences.

Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been informed of the situation, and officials from the Hellenic Coast Guard are in ongoing contact with Saudi authorities. However, there is currently no sign that a resolution is imminent.