By Nkechi Eze
Tragedy struck on the high seas over the weekend as a Nigerian tugboat, LEO, sank in stormy South African waters, leaving one crew member dead, five missing and 12 rescued alive.
The vessel, which was carrying 18 persons, reportedly ran aground about 18 nautical miles offshore between Cape Town and Durban late Saturday night while navigating violent waves on its return voyage to Lagos. The tug had earlier docked in South Africa for repairs before embarking on the ill-fated journey.
Confirming the incident on Monday, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said South African authorities formally notified the Federal Government of the disaster.
According to the minister, South Africa’s Ministry of Transportation confirmed that 12 crew members were successfully rescued from the wreckage, while one fatality has been recorded. Five others remain unaccounted for as search-and-rescue efforts continue.
“The South Africa Ministry of Transportation informed us of this development,” she stated.
Emergency response operations are being coordinated by the South African Maritime Safety Authority, which has deployed rescue teams to comb the area. Survivors are being transported to Port Elizabeth for medical evaluation and debriefing.
Officials of the Nigeria High Commission in South Africa are reportedly en route to receive the rescued seafarers and provide immediate consular assistance.
Families of the missing crew members are anxiously awaiting further updates as search teams continue to scour the turbulent waters in hopes of locating the five still missing.
The sinking of LEO has renewed concerns about maritime safety along the busy West and Southern African shipping corridors, particularly amid increasingly volatile weather conditions affecting regional sea routes.
Authorities say more details will be provided as rescue operations progress.
