Missing Seafarer Found On Tanker After Large-Scale Search In Elbe Estuary

A major search operation launched after a crew member went missing from a tanker in the Elbe estuary has ended after the seafarer was found on board, German rescue authorities have confirmed.

The incident began early on Sunday, 25 January 2026, when a 29-year-old seaman was reported missing from the tanker Songa Pearl.

The Malta-flagged vessel, which is 144 metres long, was sailing from Antwerp to Gdansk and was located on the Lower Elbe River off Cuxhaven when the alarm was raised at around 6 a.m.

The crew member had last been seen on board several hours earlier.

The German Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, operated by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS), immediately launched a large-scale search.

Because a long period had passed since the seaman was last seen, the search initially covered a wide area between the Elbe and Weser estuaries.

Six rescue units from DGzRS were deployed, along with vessels from the Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein water police, government and pilot boats, and a tugboat.

A Sea Lion search and rescue helicopter from the German Navy Air Service also took part. MRCC Bremen coordinated the operation.

Search efforts were split across several areas, with some units focusing on the Lower Elbe while others searched the Outer Elbe and Outer Weser.

At around 7 a.m., the DGzRS sea rescue cruiser Anneliese Kramer found a lifebuoy with a flashing light in the Lower Elbe. Authorities later confirmed that the lifebuoy belonged to the Songa Pearl.

After the discovery, the search was narrowed to an area between Groden and Otterndorf on the Lower Elbe.

The sea rescue cruiser Hermann Marwede was appointed as the on-scene coordinator. As tidal and current conditions changed, the search area was shifted further northwest.

At the time of the operation, easterly winds of around three Beaufort were reported, and the water temperature was approximately one degree Celsius.

At 12:52 p.m. on 25 January, DGzRS announced that the search had been suspended while awaiting new information, as no further traces of the missing seafarer were found.

On 27 January, German sea rescue authorities confirmed that the missing crew member was found on board the tanker and was handed over to rescue services on land. No additional details were released. The Songa Pearl later arrived in Gdansk.

Reference: seenotretter

Source: Maritime Shipping News