The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) carried out a dramatic rescue operation off the island of Borkum on Tuesday morning. A Swedish sailing yacht had got into serious distress and was in danger of capsizing. At around 11:30 a.m., the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Bremen received an emergency message. The customs boat "Nesserland" had intercepted a distress call from the Swedish sailing yacht and forwarded it to the DGzRS. The two crew members of the yacht were in an extremely critical situation. With wind forces of 7 Beaufort from the west and wave heights of up to four metres, the yacht's engine had failed. In the dangerous sea area between the shipping lane and the East Frisian Islands, the unmanoeuvrable yacht was in danger of capsizing. The rescue cruiser "Theo Fischer" set out immediately to rescue the stricken yacht.
Challenging weather conditions make rescue operations more difficult
The weather conditions presented the sea rescuers with major challenges. Wind speeds of up to 61 km/h whipped up the waves. In addition, radio communication with the distressed yacht was disrupted, which made it even more difficult to coordinate the rescue operation. As a precaution, the customs boat "Nesserland" remained close to the yacht until the sea rescuers arrived. The rescue cruiser "Theo Fischer" stationed on Borkum set sail immediately after receiving the distress report. The "Theo Fischer" reached the distressed vessel at around 12.15 p.m., about 45 minutes after the first alarm was raised.
The sea rescuers established a stable line connection with the approximately 14 metre long sailing yacht. In difficult sea conditions and at low towing speed, the "Theo Fischer" brought the damaged sailing yacht to Borkum. Shortly after 4 p.m., the daughter boat "Ströper" took over the tow and brought the sailors safely into the harbour.
The two Swedish sailors - a man and a woman - fared well under the circumstances. The sailing yacht is to be repaired so that they can continue their journey to southern Europe.
Tips for towing
Behaviour in an emergency:
- Keep calm and put on life jackets
- Make an emergency call: Via VHF channel 16 or mobile phone (emergency call 124124 in Germany)
- Determine and transmit position
- Wait for instructions from the rescue coordination centre
Towing process:
- Only experienced crew on deck, keep a safe distance from lines
- Clear communication with hand signals between the boats
- Adapt the towing speed to the boat being towed
You can find more valuable tips on towing in these two articles:
