Search for the Missing Ship VN8112: Volunteers and Military Search Off the Coast

19.02.2026 | Region

Volunteer teams and the military continue the search for the missing fishing vessel VN8112 off the coast of Sozopol. The search is being conducted on land and sea, after contact with the ship was lost yesterday.

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Seven volunteer teams set off this morning on a foot patrol from the Sozopol campsite “Kavatsi“ towards the rocky shores of Maslen Nos, searching for traces of the missing fishing vessel VN8112. Contact with the vessel, on whose board are Captain Hristo Spasov, his 25-year-old son, and another man, was lost yesterday.

The groups, which started the search minutes ago, include residents of Sozopol, as well as fishermen from Balchik. The other son of the missing captain - Hristiyan Spasov - also arrived at the scene. He told the media that his father is an experienced fisherman, and his brother has been fishing with him for seven years. According to him, they went out to sea to catch shark.

The patrol is being conducted in significantly calmer weather compared to yesterday, which allows volunteers to reach more places along the coast. People are divided into teams that look for debris, life-saving equipment, or other traces of the ship washed ashore. Employees of the municipal administration in Sozopol are also involved in the action. 

Mayor Tihomir Yanakiev announced that the calm sea today allows a boat to be included in the search. 

Yesterday, servicemen from the Navy (VMS) with the frigate “Drazki“ began an operation to search for the vessel, and the Ministry of Transport announced that search operations by air and water will be renewed this morning.