THIS is the moment traumatised survivors of a deadly Houthi cargo ship blitz were plucked from the sea.
The sailors of the Barbados-flagged Liberian-owned bulk carrier True Confidence were rescued from a life raft in the Gulf of Aden after the vessel was struck by missiles on Wednesday, leaving three dead.
The attack marked the first fatalities reported since the Iran-aligned Yemeni group began strikes against shipping in one of the world's busiest trade lanes.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, which set the vessel ablaze around 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen's port of Aden.
But dramatic footage has shown the rescue efforts made by a US warship and the Indian navy, which were both on the scene, to save the remaining survivors who had abandoned ship.
Andrew Tate 'tried to lure ex-Playboy model to Romanian lair' before his arrest
Having fled for their lives, the sailors managed to clamber aboard a life raft away from their heavily damaged ship.
Rescue boats were then dispatched to bring them to safety, while others are seen clambering off their raft and onto the ship.
Some were even airlifted by helicopter amid their desperate attempts to survive.
Sped up footage showed one being pulled up to safety, while another clip shot from the safety of one of the ships captured the dramatic moment from afar.
Another was also seen being strapped into his seat inside the helicopter, too exhausted to do so himself.
After returning to safety abord the Indian navy ship, sailors were quickly attended to by emergency services.
Having been pulled from the helicopter, one survivor was then shown laying on a table without his shirt on and professionals treated his wounds.
Another was also carried in by the Indian navy on a medical bag used to airlift people, unable to walk.
Following the attack, a shipping source said four mariners had been severely burned and three were missing.
They said no information was available about the status of the 20 crew and three armed guards on board, who included 15 Filipinos, four Vietnamese, two Sri Lankans, an Indian and a Nepali national.
Inside US's most remote town 2.4 miles from Russia where only 77 people live
On Thursday, two of the victims were identified as Filipino seafarers by the Philippines' ministry for migrant workers.
It said in a statement two other Filipinos were severely injured in the attack and called for "continued diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and to address the causes of the current conflict in the Middle East".
A US defence official, who declined to be identified, said smoke was seen coming from the True Confidence and a lifeboat had been seen in the water near the ship.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said it had received a report of an incident 54 nautical miles southwest of Aden, which lies near the entrance to the Red Sea.
It was added that the vessel had been abandoned by the crew and was "no longer under command".
"Coalition forces are supporting the vessel and the crew," UKMTO said.
Stephen Cotton, general secretary of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the leading seafarers union, called for urgent action to protect its members.
"We have consistently warned the international community and the maritime industry about the escalating risks faced by seafarers in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea," she said.
"Today ... we see those warnings tragically confirmed."
In an earlier message on X responding to the Houthi claim, Britain's embassy wrote: "At least 2 innocent sailors have died.
"This was the sad but inevitable consequence of the Houthis recklessly firing missiles at international shipping. They must stop."
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November in what they say is a campaign in solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
Britain and the United States have been launching retaliatory strikes against the Houthis, and the confirmation of fatalities could lead to pressure for stronger military action.
But following Wednesday's attack by the Iran-backed rebels, the US confirmed it had shot down two Houthi drones on Thursday.
US Central Command has announced the US Aircraft has blasted the "Suicide" drones in Western Yemen.
In a post on X today, the US Central Command wrote: "These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels."
Four days ago, the Rubymar, a UK-owned bulk carrier, became the first ship to sink as a result of a Houthi attack, after floating for two weeks with severe damage from a missile strike.
All crew were safely evacuated from that vessel.
The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
The cost of insuring a seven-day voyage through the Red Sea has risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While the militia has said it would attack vessels with links to the United Kingdom, the United States and Israel, shipping industry sources say all ships could be at risk.
The True Confidence is owned by the Liberian-registered company True Confidence Shipping and operated by the Greece-based Third January Maritime, both companies said in their joint statement.
They said the ship had no link to the United States.
