4 Dutch family members missing after Lake Malawi boat crossing have now been found

The four Dutch nationals who went missing during a speedboat crossing of Lake Malawi have been found safe and are back on land, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports.

The group departed on Sunday from Mbamba Bay in Tanzania, heading more than 60 kilometers across the lake to Nkhata Bay in neighboring Malawi.

When the boat failed to arrive at the expected time, Malawi’s Ministry of Transport reported the vessel missing around 5 p.m. on Sunday. This triggered a large-scale search-and-rescue operation involving local authorities in both Tanzania and Malawi, carried out in cooperation with Dutch embassy staff.

“Thanks to the search operation by the local authorities in Tanzania and Malawi, in cooperation with the embassy colleagues, this worrying situation has fortunately come to an end, and the occupants are safely back on land,” the ministry said.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the occupants are receiving medical assistance. No further details are being released for privacy reasons.