ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish coastal emergency teams have rescued 16 crew members from a cargo ship that ran aground off the Black Sea coast of Sile in a dramatic operation that lasted several hours.

The Comoros-flagged ship, Natalia, ran aground in rough seas early Wednesday en route to Istanbul from Russia. 

Video footage of the rescue operation showed crew members being brought to safety one-by-one with the help of a winch system extended from the shore as high waves battered the ship. At least one crew member was seen holding a suitcase while being pulled to shore.

Divers and ambulances were on standby throughout the rescue operation.