In distress: Two yachts wrecked in the North Sea

Last Friday evening, a 68-year-old skipper and his motorsailer got stuck in the Heverstrom on the Lorenzplatte in the North Frisian Wadden Sea. A leak measuring around 60 by 12 centimetres was apparently torn into the hull in the area of the port bilge keel. As the skipper was probably unable to do anything about the ingressing water, he radioed "Mayday". The DGzRS then rushed to the distressed man's aid and also alerted a rescue helicopter. It rescued the skipper. The ship then fell dry with the onset of low tide so that the sea rescuers could mark it with a balloon buoy. It was still unclear at the time when and how it would be salvaged.

Two sailors who were travelling from Langeoog to Cuxhaven in the East Frisian Wadden Sea a day and a half earlier, in the early hours of last Thursday morning, also had a stroke of luck. Their nine-metre-long yacht had grounded so heavily in the Accumer Ee estuary shortly before low tide that it sprung a leak. The ingress of water quickly paralysed the electronics and the engine.

The sailors therefore also alerted the DGzRS, which was quickly on the scene with a powerful bilge pump. This prevented the yacht from sinking. The distressed vessel was towed to Bensersiel, where the boat was craned.

On the occasion of the two accidents, the sea rescuers point out that the sea lanes are considered extremely demanding, even among experienced sailors. The position and depth of the fairways are subject to strong changes due to the current and the influence of the tide. Precise navigation is required, not least because the fairway leads past dangerous sandbanks. Stranding in these areas is extremely dangerous for the ship and crew.

Even the marked fairways are not always navigable at all water levels. These areas are labelled as "highly variable" on the nautical charts. Water sports enthusiasts should always obtain up-to-date information on the situation before setting sail, according to a DGzRS statement.