A major search and rescue operation (SAR) is underway roughly 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, after the tug Leo sent out a distress signal late on 2 March.
At 19:02 local time, the vessel transmitted a mayday, reporting uncontrolled water ingress and requesting immediate assistance. Cape Town Radio relayed the distress call to nearby vessels, prompting an emergency response. The tug, carrying 18 crew members, sank in the early hours of Wednesday after the crew abandoned ship into four life rafts.
As of Wednesday morning, 13 crew members have been accounted for, including 12 survivors and one individual presumed deceased. Search efforts continue for the five remaining crew members.
Two merchant vessels and a local fishing boat remain on the scene assisting the rescue, while a helicopter has been deployed to provide aerial coverage of the area.
Adverse weather conditions continue to hamper operations, but authorities report that all available resources are being fully utilized to locate the missing crew.
An Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate the response and ensure cooperation between the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Cape Town, on-scene resources, and other relevant agencies.