Heartbreaking final message from crew of sunken ship: 'Forgive me...'
AFAD President Okay Memiş made a statement regarding the Kafkametler ship that sank in Zonguldak. Memiş stated, We have located the ship. It was also revealed that one of the crew members sent a message to his brother before the ship sank.
12punto
Zonguldak Governor Osman Hacıbektaşoğlu and AFAD President Okay Memiş made statements regarding the search and rescue operations for the Turkish-flagged ship and its crew, with whom communication was lost due to a storm in the Ereğli district of Zonguldak on the Black Sea.
Highlights from Memiş's statement:
The location of the sunken Kafkametler ship has been identified. Our diving teams are continuing search and scanning operations for the 11 missing crew members.
HE EMBARKED ON HIS FINAL VOYAGE
61-year-old Metin Usta, who lost his life on the dry cargo ship that sank off the coast of Zonguldak the previous day, was laid to rest in his hometown of Görele, Giresun.
It was learned that after surviving a ship accident in the Dardanelles 20 years ago, Usta would say "This is my last voyage, my last voyage" every time he left his home and loved ones for a new assignment.
The funeral prayer held at the Hasanağa Mosque in central Görele was attended by Usta's relatives, Görele Mayor Ahmet Süleymanoğlu, Trabzon Regional Port Authority President Ahmet Turgay Okur, Görele Port Authority President Erhan Zeynel, as well as other relatives and citizens.
Following the funeral prayer held after the noon prayer, Usta's body was buried in the family cemetery in the district's Sağlık village. It was learned that Usta, a sailor for approximately 35 years, was married and a father of 3 children.
"HE SAID 'THIS IS MY LAST VOYAGE' EVERY TIME"
Metin Usta's brother, Aydın Usta, told reporters that his brother had survived a ship accident in the Dardanelles about 20 years ago. Usta said, "My brother was the only one who survived that accident. All his friends died. He lost his memory for a long time after that accident. Every time he went to a ship, he would say he was going on his last voyage. Yet he still worked. The late Metin would say every time, 'This is my last voyage, my last voyage.'"
HEARTBREAKING FINAL MESSAGE
It was revealed that Mustafa Nacar, one of the crew members of the sunken ship, sent a message to his brother at 10:09 AM saying, "Forgive me, the ship has run aground, we are sinking."