A sailor was forced to live on an abandoned ship for four years and now, he’s finally made it home, reports BBC.
Why was the ship detained?
Mohammed Aisha had been stuck on the cursed ship since May 5, 2017, when the ship was detained at the port of Adabiya in Egypt, due to expired safety certificates.
As the vessel’s contractors and the owners had monetary issues, the ship was doomed to remain off the Egyptian coast. With Mohammed declared the ship’s legal guardian, other sailors got to go, but he had to stay.
Like you are in a coffin!
During those four years, often without power or any company, he said, “I seriously considered ending my life.”
For more information read our article [Watch] The Lone Sailor on An Abandoned Cargo Ship
He also watched ships pass in the nearby Suez Canal, including his brother’s vessel, but while they’d phone each other, they’d be too far apart to wave. At night, with no power and nobody around, it was basically a ghost ship. ‘You can’t see anything. You can’t hear anything. It’s like you’re in a coffin,’ he explained.
Nature’s help
Some good fortune blew his way with a storm in March last year, which caused the MV Aman to drift five miles closer to the shore, meaning Mohammed could now swim to land – not just for supplies, but to be around people.
It’s not often in this business that you get to report some genuinely good news. But I’m delighted to say that Mohammed Aisha, the sailor stuck off the Egyptian coast for 4 years, is on his way home to Syria. To all those who offered your help, many thanks. pic.twitter.com/tQ2xpC1q36
— Paul Adams (@BBCPaulAdams) April 22, 2021
Legal support
As for helping Mohammed, a representative for owners Tylos Shipping and Marine Services told the outlet: ‘I can’t force a judge to remove the legal guardianship. And I can’t find a single person on this planet – and I’ve tried – to replace him.’
His case was finally taken up by Mohamed Arrached of the International Transport Workers Federation in December. ‘The case of Mohammed has to serve to open a serious debate to prevent these abuses to seafarers on ships,’ he explained.
Unfortunately, Mohammed’s situation isn’t uncommon. According to the International Labour Organisation, there are more than 250 active, similar cases with sailors left on their own, with 85 reported in 2020 alone.
Fly home
As he was about to fly home, he said: ‘How do I feel? Like I finally got out of prison. I’m finally going to be reunited with my family. I’m going to see them again.’
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Source: BBC
