An unusual incident occurred on Monday morning at the north pier of Stralsund harbour in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen. The toilet and shower block of the Citymarina filled with water and sank for reasons as yet unexplained. The building, which is mounted on floating pontoons, was located on jetty 8, which is mainly used by guests. The emergency call was received by the rescue control centre at around 7 am. The water depth at the site is around three metres, making the rescue a complex task.
Read also:
Fire brigade and THW set up oil booms
The cause of the water ingress is still unclear. The city council announced that the building had completely sunk within an hour despite the efforts of the fire brigade to pump it dry. Extensive safety measures were initiated immediately after the incident. Both the fire brigade and the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) set up oil booms around the submerged sanitary building in order to prevent any leaking fluids from entering the harbour basin and the Strelasund.
Investigation and salvage preparations
In order to determine the cause of the sinking and prepare for the salvage operation, the solar panels on the roof first had to be dismantled. This was necessary so that divers could examine the sunken building. On Tuesday, a diver was already on site to assess the condition of the sunken sanitary building and examine possible salvage options. The owner has been asked by the authorities to develop a concept for how the sanitary building can be raised.
Consequences for guest berth holders
For sailors calling at Stralsund harbour, the demise of the building means that they will have to use the remaining sanitary building. The harbour on the Strelasund is a popular stopover destination, especially in the summer months, and is sometimes very busy. The affected jetty number 8 was closed to sailors.
