It was literally a last-minute rescue: a 77-year-old single-handed skipper was rescued from his capsized boat, which was drifting on its side in the North Sea, by an ADAC helicopter using a winch at around 7 p.m. yesterday evening. Shortly afterwards, the vessel, which according to the Sea rescuers was an approximately nine metre long motor sailer, northeast of the island of Wangerooge.
This was preceded by a large-scale search operation involving several rescue cruisers, various government vessels and two helicopters. Commercial and leisure shipping in the sea area in question near the Nordergründe was also asked to take part in the search for the shipwrecked vessel.
Its position was initially unclear. At 6.15 p.m., another sailor informed the Bremen Maritime Rescue Centre about a faint Mayday radio call that had been picked up. This was then confirmed by other ships. The search operation was then initiated immediately.
At around 7 p.m., the ADAC helicopter finally reported visual contact with the stricken vessel around nine nautical miles north-east of Wangerooge. The skipper had apparently managed to stay on the boat after it capsized and was also able to make an emergency call. His boat continued to sink slowly until he was rescued.
The helicopter took the shipwrecked man on board with the winch and flew the skipper, who was only lightly clothed and suffering from hypothermia, to hospital. When the rescue cruiser "Herrmann Marwede" arrived at the scene of the accident a short time later, the stricken boat had already sunk. The sea rescuers discovered a few pieces of wreckage and informed the traffic control centre of the exact position.
It is not yet known why the motorised glider capsized. At the time of the operation, there were northerly winds of between 4 and 5 Beaufort. The water temperature was around 14 degrees Celsius. The Wilhelmshaven water police have begun investigating the cause of the accident.
