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Major operationSingle-handed sailor goes overboard

Martin Hager

 · 18.06.2025

Major operation: single-handed sailor goes overboardPhoto: DGzRS, Jörg Sarbach
Sea rescue boat "Herwil Götsch" of the DGzRS station Schleswig in action on the Schlei.
A sailing accident on the Schlei triggered a major rescue operation on Tuesday evening. A man sailing alone fell from his sailing boat near Ulsnis and was able to save himself thanks to a life jacket. The rudderless Yngling continued to drift across the Schlei.
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On Tuesday evening at around 17:30, a skipper overboard incident occurred on the Schlei near Ulsnis, which, as reported by Förde.news, triggered a large-scale operation by the fire brigade, rescue services and sea rescuers. A sailor was hit by the main boom and apparently went overboard due to the impact. The skipper was wearing a lifejacket and was able to swim to the nearby "Dreispitz" bathing area on his own.

Rapid response from the emergency services

Witnesses on land observed the incident and immediately called the emergency services. A rescue helicopter landed a short time later in the immediate vicinity of the accident site. The crew immediately attended to the casualty, who was uninjured.

Pilotless boat drifts away

While the emergency services examined and cared for the sailor, his pilotless yngling continued to drift across the Schlei towards the Schwansen shore. The initially unclear situation and the drifting boat led to the volunteer fire brigades from Bohnert, Kosel and Eckernförde also being alerted on the Schwansen side. The rescue boat "Herwil Götsch" from the DGzRS centre in Schleswig also rushed to the scene.

Successful rescue and happy ending

The sea rescuers were finally able to secure the drifting sailing boat and tow it ashore. After being examined by the rescue service, the sailor was brought home safely by the fire brigade. The rescue operation was successfully concluded after just over an hour.

Importance of safety equipment

This incident once again demonstrates the importance of appropriate safety equipment when sailing. The casualty's life jacket proved to be a lifesaver and enabled him to pull himself to safety despite the shock. Water sports enthusiasts should always wear the recommended safety equipment and be aware of the potential dangers, even in supposedly harmless conditions.

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Coordinated deployment of the emergency services

The accident also demonstrates the excellent cooperation and coordination between the various rescue organisations. The rapid response and professional approach of the emergency services were crucial to the positive outcome of this potentially dangerous incident.

Click here for the report "The DGzRS sea rescue boats and their missions"

These were the most impressive missions of the DGZRS in 2024.

Martin Hager

Martin Hager

Editor in Chief YACHT

Martin Hager is editor-in-chief of the titles YACHT and BOOTE EXCLUSIV and has been working for Delius Klasing Verlag for 20 years. He was born in Heidelberg in 1978 and started sailing at the age of six, in an Opti of course. This was soon followed by 420s, Sprinta Sport and 470s, which he also sailed on the regatta course with his brother. His parents regularly took him on charter trips through the Greek and Balearic Islands. Even at a young age, it was clear to him that he wanted to turn his passion for water sports into a career. After graduating from high school and completing an internship at the Rathje boatbuilding company in Kiel, it was clear that he did not want to become a classic boatbuilder. Instead, he successfully studied shipbuilding and marine engineering in the Schleswig-Holstein state capital and focused on yacht design wherever he could. His diploma thesis dealt with the “Testing of a new speed prediction method for sailing yachts”. In 2004, the superyacht magazine BOOTE EXCLUSIV was looking for an editor with technical and nautical background knowledge, a position that was perfect for Martin Hager. The application was successful and a two-year traineeship was arranged. After twelve years as an editor, the editorial team changed and he took over responsibility for BOOTE EXCLUSIV as editor-in-chief in 2017. After long-time YACHT editor-in-chief Jochen Rieker moved to the role of publisher, Martin Hager also took over the position of editor-in-chief of Europe's largest sailing magazine YACHT, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, at the beginning of 2023. When he's not working on topics for the two water sports titles, Martin Hager likes to go out on the water himself - preferably with kite and wingfoil equipment or on a little after-work trip across the Alster.

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