Distress at sea: Accidents in the Weser and Elbe - Traditional ship "Ethel von Brixham" collides with a dam

Two maritime emergencies kept the sea rescuers and other helpers on their toes in icy temperatures at the weekend: in the Outer Weser, a former pilot transfer boat reported a water ingress, and in the Elbe, the schooner "Ethel von Brixham" was wrecked on a breakwater near Cuxhaven. What initially looked like an unpleasant incident quickly took a dramatic turn for the traditional ship and its crew.

Traditional sailing ship "Ethel von Brixham" wrecks off Cuxhaven - crew rescued in dramatic action

Ship lovers from Kiel still remember the sight of the schooner "Ethel von Brixham" at the Blücherbrücke. But now the 135-year-old schooner ran aground on the causeway off Cuxhaven on Saturday. As the historic wooden ship threatened to break apart and water was seeping in, four sailors and a dog were pulled off board at the last minute. The fate of the traditional ship is uncertain.

Overpass cruise ends on the causeway

It was supposed to be a transfer voyage from Brunsbüttel to Den Helder in the Netherlands. However, at around 12.15 p.m. on Saturday, 31 January 2026, the "Ethel von Brixham" ran aground at buoy 29 on the causeway off Cuxhaven - around 1.4 nautical miles away from the striking Kugelbake. The rescue cruiser from the DGzRS station in Cuxhaven deployed immediately.

The sea rescuers attempted to tow the 30-metre-long schooner free with its flat-bottomed daughter boat. In vain: the wooden schooner was already too firmly attached to the stones of the dam. As no water ingress was initially detected, the crew and sea rescuers decided to make another attempt to tow the schooner free at the next high tide around midnight.

The situation escalates

The situation worsened dramatically as the water rose. At around 9 p.m., the crew reported a water ingress and put the on-board bilge pumps into operation. In consultation with the sea rescuers, the sailors initially stuck to their plan to wait out the high tide.

At around 10.30 p.m., the multi-purpose vessel "Neuwerk" from the Elbe-North Sea Waterways and Shipping Office offered assistance and set course for the stricken vessel. A workboat initially took a crew member and a dog on board. During this manoeuvre, the skipper was confronted with a disturbing sight: The keel of the wooden schooner, built in 1890, was already bulging. The historic ship was threatening to break apart.

When one of the bilge pumps on board failed almost simultaneously, the situation deteriorated dramatically. For safety reasons, the crew and rescuers decided to evacuate the boat completely. The "Neuwerk" workboat took the remaining crew members on board and brought them safely to Cuxhaven. Meanwhile, the rescue cruiser remained on standby at the scene and illuminated the scene.

Minus three degrees Celsius, a water temperature of only two degrees and a biting five Beaufort from the south-east made it difficult to rescue the crew.

A ship with an eventful history

The "Ethel of Brixham" looks back on 135 years of history. The schooner was launched in Brixham, southern England, in 1890. Designed for tough fishing under sail between the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay, she came to Norway in the 1920s as a fishing and cargo ship, where she sailed "stones and pigs", as a former crew member described it.

In 1981, she was transferred to Germany and re-rigged as a staysail schooner. After further modifications in 2011, she once again has the characteristic gaff schooner rigging. In 1997, she was the subject ship in the film adaptation of Günter Grass' novel "Die Rättin" - and in the north she is known from the Kieler Woche and other maritime festivals.

28 years under Gerhard Bialek

Since 1996, the "Ethel" has belonged to Gerhard Bialek from Kiel. The now 69-year-old gave up his career in the automotive industry to turn his hobby into a profession. With its characteristic red hull, the traditional ship was moored at the Blücherbrücke in Kiel for decades and became an unmissable part of the traditional ship fleet there.

Bialek offered sailing trips on the Baltic Sea and spent around 120 days a year at sea. "It was the beginning of a great love," he said in an interview in 2024. A highlight in 2023 was the leading role in the Guy Ritchie war film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" - Bialek spent 98 days filming with his ship in Turkey.

However, the increased legal requirements for traditional ships made it impossible for Bialek to continue operating the ship. "I'm losing the centre of my life," he admitted contritely when he made it public in October 2024 that the "Ethel" was up for sale. His biggest concern: the threat of the ship being scrapped if no buyer could be found.

New hope - and now an uncertain future

This concern seemed unfounded when the "Ethel" found a new owner in August 2025, who set off with her towards the North Sea in the autumn. But on 6 October 2025, she was already in danger of sinking after taking on water in Brunsbüttel harbour. The fire brigade was able to prevent an accident with pumps. An oil barrier was set up for safety. According to later reports, the water ingress was caused by heavy rainfall and the failure of a pump. The ship is said to have been moved to Cuxhaven and drained there.

In December 2025, a British man announced in a Facebook group that he was the new owner of the "Ethel" and wanted to bring her back to England. He launched a fundraising campaign for the preservation of the old lady.

What will happen to the wrecked historic schooner is currently unclear. AIS data shows the status "Aground" - stranded. The owner and the relevant authorities must decide whether the "Ethel of Brixham" can be salvaged or will be a total loss.

A Report from CVN Media shows sad pictures of the

The "Ethel" is now lying heavily on its side. According to the report, the traffic centre of the Cuxhaven Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) has asked the owner to ensure that the ship is salvaged. There is not yet any danger of enforcement; otherwise the WSA will take the helm itself if necessary.

The ship has two tanks, each with a capacity of 1,000 litres. However, it was not reported how much diesel is on board.

Kiel-based charter entrepreneur Matthias Milau knows the traditional ship and its previous owners well. He writes movingly in a Facebook post: "Over the past ten years, I have often been able to accompany the 'Ethel' on numerous trips with our customers." He remembers the previous owner: "His briefings were legendary - the way he picked up the customers and got them excited about the ship was what gave the 'Ethel' her true soul."

Milau draws a gloomy parallel: "This is now the second time that a traditional ship from the Kiel Fjord, to which I had a connection, has been wrecked shortly after being sold." He thinks of the shark cutter "Gefion" from Laboe, which also crashed and was eventually scrapped at the harbour pier in Rødbyhavn. "It feels as if the protective spirit has disappeared with the change of ownership."

It would be a bitter loss for maritime tradition. After 135 years at sea, after countless fishing trips, cargo voyages and sailing voyages, the eventful history of the "Ethel von Brixham" could end on a causeway off Cuxhaven.

Motorboat in great danger in the Outer Weser

Just a few hours before the dramatic rescue operation involving the "Ethel von Brixham", another marine casualty occurred on the Outer Weser on Saturday afternoon, 31 January 2026. At around 2.50 p.m., the DGzRS Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre alerted a rescue cruiser from Bremerhaven: a motorboat reported heavy water ingress in the Outer Weser near the uninhabited island of Mellum. Two Dutch men on board the 16.4 metre long former pilot transfer boat were in acute mortal danger - there was already half a metre of water in the ship and the bilge pump was not working properly.

The sea rescuers were initially able to bring the leak under control, but it suddenly grew rapidly. Large quantities of water broke in. A sea rescuer had the presence of mind to provisionally plug the leak. The damaged boat was finally towed to Bremerhaven while the water was constantly being pumped out. In sub-zero temperatures and ice-cold water of just one degree Celsius, sinking the boat would have been immediately life-threatening for the crew.

Unusually high number of maritime emergencies this winter

While the winter season is usually rather quiet when it comes to distress at sea among recreational boaters, this winter some are clearly not afraid of the icy rivers and the North Sea. The two distress at sea incidents this year have already been preceded by two.

On 7 January, a Norwegian skipper was rescued from distress at sea west of Heligoland after experiencing engine problems and damaging his mast. After unsuccessful attempts to tow it in a storm of nine Beaufort and waves up to five metres high, it was finally rescued by a naval helicopter and flown to the mainland.

Just two days later, a 46-year-old sailor got into difficulties on the Elbe during the winter storm "Elli" on 9 January 2026: The man from Hamburg had got stuck with his sailing yacht on a mud bank near the Elbe island of Lühesand. The keelboat ran dry and lay on its side. The skipper was brought ashore through the icy silt by DLRG specialists.