Shipwreck B/C DISTOS
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B/C Dystos. -
B/C Dystos ex Mina Entrego. -
Dystos with its overturned keel. -
The fishing boat Saronikos detects Dystos being overturned floating at a distance of 3,5 miles east of Kimi. -
The left side of the bow with the anchor of B/C DYSTOS (www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
The bow of Dystos ( www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
The superstructure of ship Dystos ( www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
The davits of the ship Dystos ( www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
Part of the superstructure of Dystos ( www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
The 5-wing propeller of Dystos ( www.wetklik.gr by Milonakis Kostas and www.grafasdiving.gr) -
The references of the experts for the reasons of Dystos sinking. -
Mission in 1996 survey and rescue of the cargo ship Distos. (Paris Liakakos Archive). -
Video from the shipwreck Distos.
Cargo ship of in bulk cement transport “Distos” (ex Mina Entrego), with Piraeus ship register number 8204, DDS SYXR, a volume of 4045 gross registered tonnage and 2205 net registered tonnage, 100 meters length, 5.700 tones transport capacity, constructed in 1972 at S.A Juliana Constructor A. Gijonesa shipyard of Spain. This ship had two holds, was functioning with 4.600 BHP Mek Stork- Werkspoor S.A engine and was belonging to the maritime company “Distos” of the AGET Heraklis group.The ship, whose captain was Ioannis Tsitsirikis and had a 21-member crew, had sailed from the establishments of AGET Heraklis at Volos at about 14.00 on 26 December 1996, with a cargo of 5.300 tones of cement, with direction to Pireaus-Drapetsona in order to unload. After a four-hour trip (at about 18.00), the weather conditions were unfavorable, so the ship anchored at a lee bay of the southern coasts of the island of Skiathos. The ship sailed from Skiathos in the afternoon of 28 December 1996. According to the weather broadcast of that day, there were north-east storm winds and the sea was heavy. The last communication with Distos was at about 20.00 of the same day when the captain spoke to the captain of the ship M/S Lena that was anchored at Linaria of Skiros. From this communication could not be deducted that Distos was facing any problem.Probably, Distos overturned while it was sailing at the north-east coasts of Kymi at about 20.15 until 20.50. The overturning might happened immediately, so the crew did not have the time to react, except for Christos Anagnostou who was rescued by the fishing boat “Saronicos” at about 05.15 on 29 December 1996 3,5 miles east of Kymi rope. One hour later, the fishing boat “Manolakis” detected the overturned Distos 3 miles away from Kymi cape. The efforts in order to find any shipwrecked people either at the surface or in the ship, that in the meanwhile had been pulled at Mourzeri coast of Kymi, did not bring any result. In the ship were found.
Ioannis P. Tsitsirikis, Captain, 1951, Volos
Efstathios P. Vogiatzis, Sub-Lieutenant, 1965, Promyri
Minas N. Patras, Lieutenant, 1962, Nea Ionia, Volos,
Ioannis C. Tsalos, Wireless operator, 1956, Elafa, Ioannina
Demetrios A. Zigouis, Boatswain, 1936, Argalasti
Lambros E. Tsirgis, Sailor, 1960, Trikeri
Gregorios G. Lakiotis, Sailor, 1966, Volos
Sotirios Th. Valvis, First Engineer, 1947, Pireaus
Anastasios D. Chatzimichaloglou, Second Engineer, 1947, Neo Faliro
Georgios E. Evangelinos, Third Engineer, 1949, Klema, Magnesia
Georgios V. Rachiotis, Electrician, 1951, Pireaus
Nikitas A. Kypraios, Greaser, 1955, Drapetsona
Georgios C. Mastorakis, Cook, 1945, Sapouneika, Arkadia
Georgios E. Tzonevrakis, Assistant Steward, 1955, Rethimno
Ioanna Valvi, First Engineer’s wife, 1953, Athens
MariaValvi, First Engineer’s daughter, 1985, Athens
Demetra Chatzimichaloglou, Second Engineer’s wife, 1955, Athens
After several days, the Third Engineer Nicolaos I. Chalevas, who was born in 1948 at Tsaggarada, was found drown. Crew members who were not found are:
Athanasios T. Papaioannou, Sailor, 1959, Volos
Panagiotis V. Armamentos, Greaser, 1945, Skiathos
Source: Christos Ntounis, Wrecks at Greek Seas 1951-2000, Volume B.
The wreck
The wreck of Dystos is located on a sandy sea bottom with a right inclination of 90 degrees. The longwise line of the ship bow-stern has a south-east direction with a maximum depth of 40 meters and minimum depth of 26 meters. The 5-wing propeller is clearly obvious and the helm has a right inclination. At the area of the bow there is a vertical crack, from the webbing of the ship up to the waterline, if not deeper.
Also, the wreck of Dystos is covered in total with sea organisms (plants) where a large variety of fish live. The anchors are in their position. Also, even today 21 years later, we can see the ropes at the left side of the ship.