Turkish sailor dies in Black Sea attack after rescuing others

A Turkish sailor has died in a Black Sea drone attack, just days after he played a crucial role in rescuing 18 crew members from another vessel that had been struck.

İlker Lazoğlu, the head cook aboard the cargo ship "Necibe," was on duty when the vessel was hit by a drone. He managed to contact his uncle, Faruk Lazoğlu, assuring him he was safe and awaiting transfer to another ship. "He told me he was going to transfer to another ship that would rescue him soon," his uncle recounted.

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He told me he was going to transfer to another ship that would rescue him soon.

However, the rescue vessel, identified as the RoRo ship "Ural," also came under attack near Novorossiysk. Lazoğlu had been evacuated to the "Ural" after the "Necibe" incident. His uncle learned of the second attack and Lazoğlu's severe injuries, only to be informed later that his nephew had died. "I spoke with him during the attack on the Ural ship," his uncle said. "He told me, 'Don't worry, there's nothing wrong, stay calm. No one is injured right now.' He said they were waiting for help. Then our communication was cut off. That night, the ship he boarded again was bombed."

Lazoğlu, who had worked on ships for 10-15 years and lived in Istanbul, is survived by two daughters. The vessel carrying his body and other injured crew members has docked in Samsun, where his body was handed over to his family. The injured crew members were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

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Don't worry, there's nothing wrong, stay calm. No one is injured right now. He said they were waiting for help. Then our communication was cut off. That night, the ship he boarded again was bombed.