Seahorse Runs Aground and Lists off Sidon, Lebanon, After Cargo Shift

The Panama-flagged general cargo ship Seahorse, loaded with timber, ran aground and began listing off the Lebanese port of Sidon on October 25 after losing stability due to a cargo shift. The vessel, built in 1997 and 100 meters in length overall, was sailing from Turkey when the incident occurred as it approached the port to discharge the timber.

As the situation worsened, seven crew members jumped into the water for fear the vessel would capsize and were rescued by the Lebanese Civil Defense and naval units deployed to assist the Seahorse. Subsequent reports indicated that, in addition to the cargo shift, significant water ingress had occurred, mainly in hold No. 5, which contributed to the loss of stability. Nine crew members, including the captain, remained on board.

Rescue teams began emergency dewatering operations that managed to reduce the level of water accumulated in the hold from between 3.5 and 4 meters to between 50 and 60 centimeters. Samir Yazbek, head of the Civil Defense's Maritime Rescue Unit, reported on October 26 that the situation aboard the vessel was largely under control. The Seahorse's draft had increased to about nine meters, exceeding the port basin's depth of eight meters.

Although the vessel was still listing, authorities deemed it stable enough to be towed to the port of Beirut, where it was anchored. The plan called for discharging the timber cargo to help further stabilize the ship.

Authorities did not specify what type of technical failure may have affected the vessel. According to databases cited by a specialized outlet, the Seahorse has a long record of deficiencies detected during port state control inspections since 2013, including its last six inspections dating back to December 2025.