Grand-Hero

Three crew members were rescued by the 'Grand Hero', en route from Gothenburg to Port Elizabeth, and nine more by the container m/v 'Maersk Karachi (IMO: 9162215)', enroute from Navegantes to Singapore, after the AHTS 'Leo' (IMO: 9007142), with 18 crew members on board, sank off the coast of South Africa on the early morning of March 1, 2026, about 80 nautical miles off the coast of the Western Cape region. The offshore tug got in distress about 18 nautical miles offshore under stormy waters between Cape Town and Durban while returning from Durban, where it had sailed on Feb 25, to Lagos. It had issued a distress call on Feb 28 at 5.02 p.m. initiating official rescue operations by the SASAR. A mayday relay was subsequently broadcast via Cape Town Radio to alert nearby vessels to render support. The crew abandoned ship into four life rafts before the vessel sank. One local fishing vessel in the vicinity, the Boronia', which also assisted with SAR operations under challenging conditions, including strong winds, high swells, and limited visibility, recovered one deceased crew member. The survivors were conveyed to Port Elizabeth, where officials from the Nigeria High Commission received them. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has suspended the SAR operation on March 2 at sunset. The 12 surviving crew members of the 'Leo' have been safely disembarked in Port Elizabeth, where they have received medical attention and support. Regarding the deceased crew member, the formal identification was underway in collaboration with the relevant authorities.. Five crew members remained 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. A navigation warning remained active, advising mariners transiting the area of potential debris, the last‑known position of the sunken vessel, and the presence of unrecovered life‑rafts. Mariners were requested to continue reporting any sightings of debris, pollution, or persons in the water to MRCC Cape Town or Cape Town Radio.