Germany’s maritime search and rescue service DGzRS launched a major operation after a crew member fell overboard from the tanker Songa Pearl on 25 January in the Elbe estuary.
The incident occurred while the vessel was sailing from Antwerp to Gdansk. Authorities were alerted at around 06:00 local time. The missing seafarer, 29 years old, was last seen several hours earlier.
DGzRS deployed multiple rescue units, including Theodor Storm, Bernhard Gruben, Hermann Marwede, Anneliese Kramer, Hermann Rudolf Meyer, and Gillis Gullbranson. A pilot boat, water police craft, a tug, and a search-and-rescue helicopter operated by the German Navy’s aviation service were also dispatched. The operation was coordinated by MRCC Bremen.
Because the exact time of the man overboard was unclear, the initial search area covered a wide stretch between the Weser and Elbe estuaries. At about 07:00, one of the SAR vessels located a lifebuoy with a flashing light in the lower Elbe, later confirmed to belong to Songa Pearl.
Search efforts continued across the region, but with no further signs found, the operation was suspended at around 12:52. Authorities said the search could be resumed if new information emerges.
