Rescuers pulled seven crew members alive from the Red Sea on Wednesday (July 9) and were searching for 14 still missing from the second of two freighters sunk within two days by suspected Houthi attackers.

Four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the rest of the crew abandoned the vessel, which sank on Wednesday morning after being attacked on Monday and Tuesday, sources at security companies mounting the rescue said.

The seven seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water, they said.

Greece-based maritime security firm Diaplous released video and still photographs which it said showed the rescue of crew members. Reuters was not able to independently verify the date, location or vessel in the video and stills.

There was no comment from the Houthis on the fate of the Eternity C, but the group claimed responsibility for a similar attack on Sunday targeting another ship, the Magic Seas. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it sank.

The attacks on the two ships renew a campaign by the Iran-aligned fighters, who had attacked more than 100 ships from November 2023-December 2024 in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians, but had halted their campaign this year.

"We will continue to search for the remaining crew until the last light," said an official at Diaplous. "We aim at a peaceful operation," the official said earlier.

Both of the ships that were attacked flew Liberia flags and were operated by Greek firms.

Eternity C was first attacked on Monday afternoon with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats by suspected Yemen-based Houthi militants, maritime security sources said. Lifeboats were destroyed during the raid. By Tuesday morning the vessel was adrift and listing.

Two security sources told Reuters on Wednesday that the vessel was hitagain with sea drones on Tuesday, forcing the crew and armed guards to abandon it for the sea. The Houthis stayed with the vessel until the early hours of Wednesday, one of the sources said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

RESCUE AT SEA OF PEOPLE WHICH MARITIME SECURITY COMPANY DIAPLOUS SAID WERE CREW MEMBERS OF ETERNITY C CARGO SHIP / STILL PHOTOGRAPHS CREW MEMBERS IN WATER, RESCUE UNDERWAY

VERIFICATION:

- Location, vessel and date not confirmed

- Security sources have told Reuters that a rescue of crew members from the ship the Eternity C took place on Wednesday (July 9)

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: AT SEA (RELEASED JULY 9, 2025) (DIAPLOUS - Must courtesy Diaplous / No archive/ No resales)

1. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE, WHO MARITIME SECURITY COMPANY DIAPLOUS SAID WERE CREW MEMBERS OF ETERNITY C CARGO SHIP, IN WATER CLIMBING ROPE LADDER AND BEING PULLED ONTO SHIP

2. (MUTE) VARIOUS STILL PHOTOGRAPHS OF CREW MEMBERS OF THE ETERNITY C CARGO SHIP BEING RESCUED AT SEA