A former Champions League footballer is among five sailors presumed dead after a tugboat sank.
The tug Astana was assisting an oil tanker unloading crude oil via a pipeline when, during a turn, its propeller got stuck and the engines failed.
Experts believe the vessels were connected by a tow line that could not be released in time, likely causing the smaller tug to capsize.
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Built in the Netherlands in 2006, the tug flipped upside down and sank vertically within minutes, according to witnesses.
The tragedy occurred in Romania’s Midia port, over 8km (5mi) from shore, on Wednesday (18 Mar), amid rough seas with waves reaching 2m (7ft).
One sailor, Claudiu Safar, was pulled from the water by the crew of the tug București but could not be saved despite more than an hour of resuscitation.
Over 20 divers are searching in low visibility for the remaining four sailors, one aged 25 and due to marry in September, who are all presumed dead.
Among them is 57-year-old Sorin Tufan, father of two and former right-back for Farul Constanța and Steaua București.
He appeared in the 1993/94 Champions League for Steaua against Dinamo Zagreb, as reported by Need To Know.
His father, Marin Tufan, was part of Romania’s squad for the 1970 World Cup and is Farul Constanța’s all-time top scorer.
Sorin Tufan debuted at 17 in Romania’s second division with Farul Constanța and retired from football in 1994 at 26, later becoming a sailor.
He was co-captaining the Astana at the time of the accident. According to local media, he was not scheduled to be on board but had been called in from home.
Adrian Stancu of the Romanian Naval Authority said: “A criminal investigation has been opened to determine the causes and circumstances of this maritime accident.
“The engine stopped, and the reasons are still under investigation. The full circumstances are not yet known.”
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