The fishing trawler Baraka started getting water ingress in Atlantic Ocean off Western Africa. The vessel was sinking and crew sent distress signal requesting assistance and immediate evacuation. The Russian tanker Leonid Loza responded to the distress call and headed to the troubled trawled. All the 10 fishermen were rescued and safely lifted on board of the tanker, provided with hot meals, clothes and placed in the cabins. The fishing trawler was partially submerged and salvage was not possible due to safety reasons. The tanker headed to port of Freetown and handed over the rescuers to the local authorities. The tanker Leonid Loza resumed voyage to Dalia offshore terminal in Angola for loading of crude oil.

All the ten rescued fishermen were in good health and without reported injuries. The people were citizens of the Republic of Sierra Leone and will be carried home by the local government.

The investigation for the accident with the fishing trawler is under way. Probably the vessel suffered breach and started getting water ingress. The crew was unable to pump out the water and sent distress signal requested for immediate evacuation.

The tanker Leonid Loza (IMO: 9412347) is owned and operated by the Russian state-owned company Sovcomflot. The vessel has overall length of 274.50 m, moulded beam of 48.00 m and maximum draft of 12.00 m. The deadweight of the tanker is 156,630 DWT and the gross tonnage is 83,747 GRT. The ship was built in 2011 by Jiangsu Rongsheng Heavy Industries in the shipyard in Rugao, China.