One Dead and Five Missing After Nigerian Tugboat ‘LEO’ Sinks Off South African Coast; 12 Rescued in High-Stakes Mission

A journey meant to mark a fresh start for a Nigerian vessel has ended in a maritime disaster. The tugboat LEO, which had been in South Africa for essential repairs, sank late Saturday night after running into a “brutal” storm while attempting to navigate the volatile waters back home to Lagos.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, broke the somber news on Monday, confirming that out of the 18 souls on board, only 12 have been pulled from the freezing, turbulent waters. One crew member has been confirmed dead, while five others have vanished into the sea, leaving families back in Nigeria in a state of agonizing suspense.

The LEO was roughly 18 nautical miles offshore, positioned between Cape Town and Durban, when it was overwhelmed by heavy swells and high winds. Maritime experts describe this stretch of the southern coast as “notorious” for sudden, violent weather shifts that can quickly cripple even newly repaired vessels.

“The South African authorities have been in constant communication with us,” Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated in Abuja. “While we celebrate the rescue of 12 of our citizens, our hearts are heavy for the one life lost and the five still unaccounted for. We are doing everything possible to support the survivors as they arrive in Port Elizabeth.”

Officials from the Nigeria High Commission are currently racing to meet the 12 survivors in Port Elizabeth to provide emergency medical aid and consular assistance. Meanwhile, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has refused to call off the search, deploying specialized teams to scour the area for the remaining five crew members. As the “State of Harmony” between the two nations is tested by this tragedy, the focus remains squarely on the search-and-rescue mission still fighting against the clock and the waves.