Distress at sea: Single-handed sailor rescued from sinking boat in the North Sea

A single-handed skipper on the North Sea had a stroke of luck yesterday, Sunday: he escaped with his life and his ship sank.

The 53-year-old skipper of a traditional sailing vessel called a friend in the early afternoon to report heavy water ingress, according to a report from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS). The friend forwarded the information to the Bremen Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre with an approximate position.

The conditions were extremely rough when the skipper had apparently set off for Bremerhaven: Strong winds of 6 Beaufort prevailed in the Weser-Jade area. Gusts of 9 Beaufort were forecast for later in the afternoon, in other words a storm.

Two rescue cruisers from the nearest sea rescue centres, one from Horumersiel and one from Hooksiel, set off in the direction of the distressed vessel. But before they had even reached the search area, the ADAC rescue helicopter "Christoph 26" from Sanderbusch offered its assistance. It had just finished another mission in the region.

The helicopter crew discovered the shipwrecked vessel north-east of Wangerooge in the middle channel between the Jade and Weser rivers. Heavy seas with waves of over two metres put the wooden boat under severe strain.

Due to the rigging, it was not possible to approach the distressed vessel directly. The sailor therefore had to jump into the water to be picked up by the helicopter crew.

When the two rescue cruisers finally arrived at the traditional ship, it had already begun to sink. It was not possible to attach a towline to the ship, which was rolling heavily in the sea and had no pilot. The rescue cruiser "Bernhard Gruben" secured the increasingly sinking ship until a federal police vehicle took over. The boat, which was drifting rapidly with the tide, sank outside the fairway.

In the Notice to Mariners 100/21 of the WSA Weser-Jade-Nordsee dated 09/08/2021, the position 53° 52.96' N , 007°59.70' E is given as the location of the foundering - about 1.3 nautical miles north-northeast of buoy 8. A warning is given about wreckage at low water levels, the position should be passed as far away as possible.

The skipper was flown to hospital. According to the DGzRS, he is doing well under the circumstances. The Wilhelmshaven waterway police have begun investigating the cause of the accident.