The search was triggered after a boat was reported drifting off Kellenhusen. There were apparently no people on board. It was suspected that one or more crew members may have gone overboard.
The report arrived at around 5 pm. At this point, the boat was about half a nautical mile off the coast. The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) in Bremen coordinated the operation and police and sea rescue boats set course for the scene. After water police officers and sea rescuers arrived at the sailing yacht a few minutes later and inspected it, it was confirmed that no one was on board.
Boat had apparently been stolen
A rescue cruiser towed the boat to Grömitz. In the meantime, police investigations revealed that the owner was not on site, but at home at his address. This confirmed the suspicion that the sailing boat had been stolen from the Lübeck-Travemünde Passat harbour by unknown persons.
As it was not clear whether the thieves had abandoned the boat or whether they were potentially still in an emergency situation on the water, extensive search measures were carried out at sea. In addition to ships, search helicopters were also deployed. A wide variety of units from the Schleswig-Holstein state police, the Federal Maritime Police, the German Armed Forces, sea rescuers and the fire brigade were involved in the operation.
However, no one was found. The search was suspended for the time being at around 11 pm.
Ghost ships are not uncommon on the world's oceans
Ghost ships are not uncommon. Particularly on the high seas, sailors often come across runaway yachts that have been abandoned by their crews. Some of these boats drift across the world's oceans for months or even years. And they are often in surprisingly good condition even after a long time adrift.
