One Dead, Five Missing After Nigerian Vessel Sinks Off Mossel BaySearch Underway

A search operation is continuing off the coast of Mossel Bay for five missing Nigerian crew members after their vessel sank over the weekend.

The MW Leo, registered under the Comoros flag, transmitted a distress signal on Saturday evening reporting uncontrolled water ingress. The vessel was approximately 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay, on a single voyage from Durban to Nigeria.

The Incident

The crew reportedly abandoned ship onto the vessel’s liferafts. The MW Leo sank in the early hours of 1 March 2026.

The vessel had 18 crew members on board, all confirmed to be of Nigerian nationality.

• 12 crew members have been rescued alive

• One body has been recovered

• Five crew members remain missing

The vessel is owned by Magnet Energy Limited, based in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Response

The South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) has initiated a preliminary investigation. The incident is being coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Cape Town.

The Federal Republic of Nigeria’s High Commissioner, HE Tope Ajayi, is being kept abreast of developments.

Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa have expressed their condolences.

A Separate Incident

In a separate tragedy last month, a 26-year-old Zimbabwean man went missing while wading in the Bot River Lagoon.

On the evening of 14 February, NSRI Hermanus duty crew were activated following reports of a drowning near Fisherhaven.

The man was with a friend at the timethey reportedly regularly fished together at the lagoon. Despite extensive search efforts, there remains no sign of the missing man.

Police have opened an investigation.

The Bottom Line

Twelve rescued. One confirmed dead. Five still missing.

The search continues off Mossel Bay for the remaining crew of the MW Leo. For their families in Nigeria, the wait is agonising. For the rescuers, every hour counts.

And on the Bot River Lagoon, another family waits for news that may never come.

{Source: Citizen}

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