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
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