Seven crew members were rescued after the Liberian-flagged cargo ship Eternity C sank in the Red Sea following a Houthi attack that killed four sailors.

According to security firms involved in the operation, the rescued seafarers from the Greek-operated ship—carrying 22 crew members and a three-member security team—spent more than 24 hours in the water before being located. Search efforts for the missing crew remain ongoing.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) on Tuesday reported that Eternity lost all propulsion after being hit by rocket-propelled grenades 51 nautical miles west of Hudaydah, Yemen.

The Houthis later claimed responsibility for the attack, which they said was carried out as part of their campaign in support of Palestinians in Gaza. 

BREAKING:

The Houthis have published a video of their attack against the Greek-owned bulk carrier Eternity C.

The killed a number of Filipino sailors and took several more hostage.

This video shows the ship sinking earlier today pic.twitter.com/Ze2DyWTUxq

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 9, 2025

The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the Eternity C was headed toward Israel, and that the Houthis had “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location” after the attack on Monday.

While the Houthis said the crew were rescued, the U.S. Embassy in Yemen accused the group of having “kidnapped many surviving crew members” and called for their immediate release.

Eternity C was the second ship to be sunk by Houthi forces in a week. On Sunday, the Magic Seas, another Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated vessel, was also attacked and sunk, though all 22 crew members aboard that vessel were safely rescued.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted more than 100 vessels in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.