Cartagena shipwreck leaves two crew members missing

A vessel transporting drinking water from Cartagena to Múcura Island sank in the Colombian Caribbean during the early hours of Thursday, August 7. The accident occurred approximately seven nautical miles from Tintipán Island when a strong gale and large waves struck the crew.

Two crew members, Captain Michaelis Alfredo Sarmiento Morelo and Manuel Hurtado Barrios, survived by clinging to a lifebuoy and four fuel tanks for approximately twelve hours before reaching Corona Island in the Rosario Islands archipelago.

The Colombian Navy has deployed rapid reaction units and is conducting active search operations for two other crew members who remain missing. Search efforts are currently concentrated in the San Bernardo archipelago area, with assistance requested from local maritime crews.