Shortly after 12 noon on Saturday 22 August, the skipper of a sailing yacht reported a distress situation to the Bremen Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre. The skipper had been on his way back from a regatta when he observed a 20-foot dinghy cruiser had capsized about one nautical mile off Büsum. Three people were adrift in the North Sea. At the time of the accident, the wind was force 4, with gusts of up to force 6 – equivalent to approximately 15 to 27 knots – blowing from the north-west. There were also some heavy rain showers.
Regatta crews come to the rescue even before the coastguard arrives
The sea-rescue cruiser “Theodor Storm”, based in Büsum, was alerted immediately, enabling the sea-rescue team to arrive at the scene just a few minutes later. Those involved in the accident were taking part in the Tertius Regatta off Büsum and had already finished the race. According to the regatta organisers, the dinghy cruiser had been at the front of the field when it capsized. This meant that the competitors behind were able to come to their aid quickly.
The crew of a nearby commercial vessel also assisted with the rescue operation. The vessel positioned itself to windward, thereby reducing the impact of the waves at the scene of the accident. The three sailors were a family: the parents and their adult son. According to the regatta organisers, the skipper has owned the dinghy cruiser for between 30 and 40 years. It is as yet unclear why the boat capsized.
Two sailors are clinging to the capsized boat
Whilst the woman was being rescued by the crew of a sailing yacht, the father and son were still clinging to the capsized dinghy when the “Theodor Storm” arrived. The sea rescue team threw out lines to bring them on board. All three escaped unharmed.
The dinghy cruiser is pulled onto the mudflats at low tide
Following the rescue, the crew of the “Theodor Storm” attended to the stricken boat. The dinghy cruiser had taken on a great deal of water. Using the workboat “Nis Puk”, the sea-rescue team towed the boat out of the fairway and took it to Büsum’s main beach. There, the fire brigade and other helpers pulled the boat further onto the mudflats at low tide, where it was secured with anchors and chains.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, the owners bailed out the boat using buckets. As the tide came in, the dinghy cruiser righted itself and, with the help of the Meldorf Sailing Club, was towed into Meldorf Harbour. There, it was lifted out of the water by a crane. Following an initial assessment, the dinghy cruiser remained largely intact. The rudder blade was lost, and the water that had seeped in also damaged parts of the electronics. The exact repairs required are currently still being assessed.
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Antonia von Lamezan
Volontärin
