Relatives of Missing Fishermen near Sozopol Seek Answers from Institutions

For a week now, there has been no trace of the three fishermen who went missing off the coast of Sozopol. Their fishing vessel was found on the seabed about 5 km offshore, between Sozopol and Primorsko. The relatives of the missing men have sent an open letter to the authorities seeking clarification on whether efforts to find possible survivors are continuing actively.

Naval Specialists Complete Inspection of Sunken Fishing Vessel off Sozopol

Silvia Spasova, daughter of the missing captain and sister of one of the missing sailors:

“What prompted me to speak out is that for seven days we have truly been living in complete uncertainty about what is happening and whether our loved ones will be found. There has been a persistent feeling that the search is not being carried out quickly or effectively enough. I even asked myself: what is the priority — finding the sunken vessel, or finding potentially living people who may have managed to jump, or to board a life raft? You know every vessel is equipped for this, and there is a chance of rescue if there is a rapid response. That is one of the main questions.”

According to Spasova, there is a growing perception of poor coordination between institutions, as well as a lack of information provided to relatives, who have instead relied on friends and media reports.

Silvia Spasova added:

“One of my main questions is why, given that vessels are tracked in real time, it took a civilian alert from the fishermen’s association to report that the boat was missing. This is not just a system, not a small boat that simply went out to sea — this is a fishing operation, an official vessel, subject to official tracking. In my letter I also ask: was drift modelling carried out? Was a search conducted along the projected drift trajectory of a life raft, if one had been activated? Was there an immediate deployment into the water? According to my information, the vessel disappeared at around 8 a.m., while the first entry and search took place around 5 p.m. Even if there had been any chance these people were alive somewhere in the water, they could not have survived.”

Spasova says her main reason for speaking out is to ensure the case does not remain merely a human tragedy or a topic for social media discussion, but rather leads to lessons being learned, because the country is not truly prepared to respond quickly and effectively in such situations.