In distress at sea: German sailor rescued after cat capsize in the Caribbean
YACHT Online
· 08.01.2025
Report: Theo Kruse
The crew had to hold out in the rubber raft for five hours until they were rescued by air. The coastguard responsible for the sea area around the Netherlands Antilles initially sent a patrol aircraft to the scene of the accident after receiving the distress alert. Its pilots spotted the life raft and the cat adrift with its keel up. They called for a helicopter, with which the sailors were finally rescued safely and brought to Curaçao.
In the meantime, the Maritime Operations Centre has sent a Navtex message to all ships in the region to warn of the sinking catamaran.
Torn escape hatch cause of the water ingress and capsize
Engelhardt describes how the escape hatch on the starboard hull of the eight-year-old Lagoon 42 had become detached due to sea impact. All attempts to close the opening had failed. The hull filled with water and the catamaran capsized as a result.
Fortunately, the crew of four managed to detach the life raft from the boat and open it. At the time of the accident, the wind was gusting at 30 to 35 knots and the swell was around three and a half metres.
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The sailors had to wait in the life raft for five hours before the Dutch-Caribbean Coast Guard helicopter arrived. With the three ABC islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao as well as Sint Maarten, the Netherlands has overseas territories in the Caribbean. The Dutch Coast Guard, which maintains several stations in the Antilles, is responsible for sea rescue there. The ABC islands are located off the coast of Venezuela.
André Engelhardt from Hooksiel works as a ship mechanic at the Wilhelmshaven Waterways and Shipping Office and in his spare time he organises sailing trips and yacht transfers all over the world. He is a member of the Horumersiel sailing club. Engelhardt completed a trip to the Antarctic just before Christmas.
