US shipowner Tidewater Marine has confirmed three of its seafarers are believed to have been abducted by pirates from a platform supply vessel (PSV) in the Gulf of Guinea.

Gunmen boarded the 5,200-dwt Montet Tide (built 2012) on Monday, 50 miles southwest of Bioko Island in the Equatorial Guinea exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The raid took place on the same day that Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC)'s 1,893-teu containership MSC Lucia (built 1985) was attacked in the same area, but no crew members were kidnapped.