SIDON / BEIRUT - Seven crew members jumped into the sea from the cargo ship Seahorse off the coast of Lebanon after the timber-laden vessel developed a severe list, and were rescued by Lebanese authorities, The Maritime Executive reported. The Panama-flagged general cargo ship, built in 1997, is 100 metres long and 9,483 deadweight tonnes, is managed by a Lebanese company, and was carrying timber from Turkey to the Lebanese port of Sidon when it began listing on Sunday, October 25.

Source: The Maritime Executive - Seven Panicked Crew Jump From Listing Cargo Ship Off Lebanon

Initial reports said the timber cargo had shifted, causing the list. When the authorities first contacted the captain, he said the situation was under control and that the ship did not require assistance, The Maritime Executive reported. Later reports said the ship had possibly grounded as it approached Sidon, a port with a maximum draft of 8 metres, while the Seahorse was reported to be sitting at 9 metres because of water ingress and the shifting cargo. When the list became severe, seven crew members panicked, fearing the ship was in imminent danger of capsizing, and jumped; the captain then called for assistance and the seven were rescued from the water, according to the same reporting.

Source: The Maritime Executive - Seven Panicked Crew Jump From Listing Cargo Ship Off Lebanon

Lebanese Civil Defence said its teams recovered the seven crew and stayed in contact with the captain, and that the response was coordinated with the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, Baird Maritime reported. Responders who boarded the vessel found it nearly impossible to walk because of the angle, and detected 3.5 to 4 metres of water in the number five cargo hold; emergency pumping brought the level down to between 50 and 60 centimetres, both outlets reported. The authorities said the vessel had malfunctioned and the crew had failed to detect the water ingress, but they did not identify which system had failed, and the precise cause of the flooding has not been established.

Source: Baird Maritime, Oct 27, 2026 - Seven crew rescued after jumping from listing cargo ship off Lebanon

Samir Yazbek, head of the Civil Defence Maritime Rescue Unit, said Civil Defence and Lebanese navy personnel worked together to remove the floodwater, and described the rescued crew members as being in good health, HMT News reported, citing his remarks to This Is Lebanon. Though still listing after pumping, the Seahorse was judged stable enough to proceed to Beirut, and on Monday, October 26, the Civil Defence said the ship had arrived and was lying alongside a quay, with the timber discharge under way — unloading the cargo is expected to help the ship regain its balance, the reports said.

Source: HMT News - Seven Seahorse crew rescued off Lebanon