23 Crew Members Saved, 2 Missing After Freighter Sinks in Rough Seas

BOSTON — Two sailors were missing Monday evening after a 652-foot freighter en route from Greece apparently sank in rough seas 400 miles southeast of Cape Cod. Twenty-three crew members were rescued.

The 23 sailors from the Star of Alexandria were found on a lifeboat and picked up by the merchant ship Ravenscraig, Coast Guard Petty Officer Randy Midgett said in New York.

“They’re all in good shape, some minor cuts and scrapes,” Midgett said.

Believed on Life Raft

The two missing sailors were believed to be on a life raft, which was the object of a hunt Monday evening by the 950-foot Ravenscraig and five Navy and Coast Guard search planes, officials said.

The Ravenscraig’s crew spotted a second life raft, but it turned out to be empty.

The cause of the sinking has not been determined, officials said.

The Star of Alexandria had been en route from Athens to New York with a load of cement when it began taking on water in 12-foot seas and winds up to 35 mph, Midgett said. The first mayday call went out at 9:05 a.m.

A Coast Guard jet from the air station on Cape Cod and a C-130 plane from Elizabeth City, N.C., converged on the ship. The lifeboat was spotted around noon.

Established Communications

The C-130 was able to drop a radio into the water near the boat carrying the 23 crew members and they were able to establish communications, Midgett said. About four hours later, they were rescued by the Ravenscraig.

The Star of Alexandria was not spotted, and was presumed to be sinking or sunk, Midgett said. Visibility in the rough seas was 5 to 8 miles Monday afternoon.

The Star of Alexandria was built in 1966, and was registered in England. It was designed to carry bulk freight, and was owned by Caribene Investments Ltd. of Gibraltar, according to Bureau Veritas, a Paris-based shipping registry.