The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has confirmed that the search and rescue (SAR) operation for the tug Leo, which sank approximately 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay earlier this week, has been officially suspended following an extensive multi-agency effort.
A total of 18 crewmembers were on board the vessel at the time of the incident. Of these individuals, 12 survived, one was recovered deceased from the surrounding waters, and five are still missing.
Throughout the operation, multiple vessels and air assets were deployed to support the SAR mission under the coordination of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Cape Town.
SAMSA said a navigation warning will remain active, advising mariners transiting the area of potential debris, the last‑known position of the sunken vessel, and the presence of unrecovered liferafts.
SAMSA has requested mariners to continue reporting any sightings of debris, pollution, or persons in the water to MRCC Cape Town or Cape Town Radio.
The Comoros-flagged offshore tug Leo sank in the early morning of Sunday, March 1, after earlier suffering water ingress off Western Cape province.
