The salvage of two sunken boats has begun off Cape Greco: the work will take seven working days

The salvage of the wreckage of two boats — PETSAS I and PERLA BIANCA — has begun off Cape Greco in Cyprus. The boats struck rocks in a bay between Konnos and Agioi Anargyroi. Work started on the morning of 2 September and, according to preliminary estimates, will take around seven working days.

The boats sank on 29 August during strong storm winds on the island’s eastern coast. The owner and captain of PERLA BIANCA, 76-year-old Dimitris Mavropoulos, a well-known Limassol businessman and figure in Cypriot motorsport, was killed. His companion and daughter were rescued from the water by helicopter, while two other injured people were taken to Famagusta Hospital.

The dismantling operation is proving difficult: the wreckage — from small fragments to large sections of the hulls — is scattered across the rocks, the water’s surface and the seabed, numbering in the thousands. The salvage is being carried out by a private company from Vassiliko, with vessels, cranes and divers involved. Under the terms of the contract, the contractor must collect all the wreckage and fully restore the site.

The waters around the work site have been closed: the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) issued a NAVTEX navigational warning. Oil booms have been installed around the wreckage to limit pollution from fuel and engine oil.

Two separate investigations into the incident are under way. The Cyprus Shipping Ministry, together with the police, is investigating the death of Mavropoulos and the sinking of PERLA BIANCA. The sinking of PETSAS I is being investigated by the Marine Accident Investigation Committee, which under the Marine Casualty Investigation Law N.94(I)/2012 must submit its final report within a year to the Cyprus transport minister, the European Commission and the International Maritime Organization.