Burnt-down yacht: Wreck located 90 kilometres west of Borkum

+++ Update, 09/09/2024+++: According to the Dutch broadcaster ONS, which cites information from police circles, the wreck of the sailing yacht has now been localised. A diving robot found it lying around 90 kilometres west of Borkum at a depth of 40 metres. Divers are now investigating how the accident could have happened. According to initial assumptions, the ship is believed to have come from Germany before it caught fire and sank.

The disaster took its course around 50 nautical miles north-west of the North Sea island of Borkum, between the traffic separation zone and the Deutsche Bucht offshore wind farm, around three nautical miles from the traffic separation zone. At around 22:40, a distress call was made by a service vessel from the wind farm, alerting the DGzRS rescue services. The distress call reported a sailing yacht that was fully engulfed in flames. Bremen Rescue immediately sent out a "Mayday Relay Call", i.e. a relay of an emergency call on behalf of another ship, and initiated initial rescue measures. This included the alerting of three German sea rescue boats.

A total of five rescue ships took part in the intensive search for survivors, injured people, life jackets and life rafts. The Dutch authorities also provided support with two additional ships. The aerial search was carried out by two German and one Dutch SAR helicopter and an aircraft from the Dutch coastguard, while numerous other ships supported the search from the water. The "Koning Willem 1" was in charge of the operation on site. MRCC Bremen therefore handed over coordination to the Dutch Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Den Helder.

Unexpected twist

After initial attempts to extinguish the fire, which were quickly successful, the yacht sank at around 1.30 am. YACHT was informed by the DGzRS control centre that the boat involved in the accident was a sailing yacht about ten metres long. The exact number of crew members who may have been on board at the time of the accident is still unclear. The destination of the voyage and the yacht's home port are also still unknown.

Despite the intensive efforts of the rescue services and the involvement of numerous ships and aircraft, the search for survivors was suspended by the JRCC Den Helder at 7.20 a.m. on Wednesday morning. So far, no survivors have been found. The exact cause of the fire and the fate of the people on board the sailing yacht are still unclear. Dutch police authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the accident.