Teams of volunteers searching for the missing fishing vessel near Sozopol have discovered an oil spill in the sea at the point where the ship’s signal was last detected. The presence of diesel fuel on the surface is being treated as a strong indication that the vessel suffered an accident and sank in this area.

Further reading: Search Resumes for Three Fishermen Missing near Bulgaria’s Southern Coast

Searches along the coastal rocks did not reveal any signs of the crew or physical remains of the ship. According to participants in the operation, the depth at the location of the spill is about 38 meters, which significantly complicates the work. The sonar equipment available to the volunteer teams has so far been unable to clearly identify an object on the seabed.

Experienced diver Nayden Nedev, who joined the search effort, said that after failing to find anything along the rocks, the team decided to inspect the exact coordinates where the vessel disappeared. It was there that they came across the diesel stain. While this suggests the ship went down, he stressed that nothing can yet be said about the fate of the three crew members. The hope remains that they managed to deploy a lifeboat and were carried away by sea currents, increasing the chances that they could still be found alive.

The coordinates of the oil spill have been forwarded to the Border Police, who are expected to organize a more detailed underwater inspection using specialized divers. Small boats and jet skis are continuing to search hard-to-reach areas of nearby bays, while the wider operation has included a helicopter from the “Chaika” naval air base, the frigate “Drazki,” a drone, and multiple volunteer teams patrolling the coastline between Sozopol and Primorsko.

One of the volunteers involved in the search is a son of Captain Hristo Spasov, who said the family is clinging to the hope that his father and his 25-year-old brother are still alive on a lifeboat. Despite the discovery of oil slicks and debris in the area, authorities have not yet officially confirmed that they originate from the missing vessel.

Later reports indicated that the frigate “Drazki” and the naval helicopter have been withdrawn from the operation, with an official statement from the Maritime Coordination Center expected to formally conclude the search effort.