Working Conditions Aboard the Eonia

In a heartbreaking incident, Mustafa Koç, a 19-year-old engineering student from Piri Reis University specializing in Maritime Transportation and Management Engineering, was found deceased aboard the tanker 'Gannet S' on July 11, 2019. The young intern was undertaking his summer internship on the vessel, which had departed from Istanbul heading toward India. During this challenging experience, Koç was subjected to arduous 20-hour work shifts and was tasked with cleaning tanks that contained hazardous chemical residue. Due to a storm that impeded docking, Koç spent 11 days in a makeshift hotel arranged by the company, which lacked proper hygiene facilities. After these troubles, he returned to the vessel on June 22, setting sail towards Djibouti. With the ship's guards occupying his assigned cabin, he was left to sleep in the infirmary—a space that lacked air conditioning, leading to sweltering temperatures that soared to 45 degrees Celsius. On the day of his tragic passing, Koç was forced to clean a tank with chemical residue, an assignment typically prohibited for interns. The tank was an alarming 20 meters deep, featuring a mere one-meter opening, and the environment inside reached up to 50 degrees Celsius. After enduring 18 consecutive days of grueling 20-hour shifts, Mustafa Koç was found unresponsive in his sleeping area when crew members checked on him at 8 a.m., as he had failed to report for his 4 a.m. shift at Djibouti Port. The autopsy performed in Djibouti revealed that severe lung infection was the cause of death. Prior to starting his internship, Koç had undergone a comprehensive physical evaluation and had received all necessary vaccinations, with no record of previous health issues. His brother, İsmail Koç, highlighted that Mustafa’s working conditions were not aligned with Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) standards, a situation that he believes is distressingly common within Turkish maritime companies. The family is now advocating for heightened public awareness to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The tanker 'Gannet S' made its way to Tuzla anchorage on April 10, where it successfully completed the necessary arrival formalities. Following this, the vessel proceeded to dock at a shipyard pier on April 11. Permanent repair operations are set to begin after the class surveyor conducts a thorough technical inspection of the vessel.

The stranded tanker 'Gannet S', which suffered an engine malfunction in Dakar at the close of February 2018, is currently being towed by the Marshall Islands-flagged offshore tug 'CM Brit' (IMO No.: 9376971). The towing operation commenced on March 6 after it became apparent that the vessel's crew was unable to perform the necessary repairs. This operation aims to transport 'Gannet S' to Yalova Shipyard in Tuzla, with an estimated arrival time set for April 7. To ensure the safety of both the tug and strait traffic during its passage through the Canakkale Strait, a Coastal Safety tug will be escorting the tow. Notably, on March 30, the towing vessel anchored off the coast of Piraeus, marking a significant stop on its journey.