Diving operation as planned after fatal freighter accident
The first work on the sunken "Verity" is scheduled to begin on Saturday afternoon. A diving vessel and a tugboat will set off for the site southwest of Helgoland at around 2.30 p.m., a spokeswoman for the Directorate-General for Waterways and Shipping confirmed on Saturday. It was not initially clear how many divers would be involved.
On October 24, the two freighters "Verity" and "Polesie" collided in the North Sea. The "Verity" sank. The authorities believe that five seamen lost their lives in the accident, four of whom, aged between 43 and 47, are still missing.
The emergency services now want to shorten the two masts of the wreck in order to achieve greater water depth. According to the authorities, the water column above the mast is around 15 meters. In addition to shortening the masts, experts are to investigate whether there are any leaks on the wreck that require action. Two working days are initially planned, according to the spokesperson.
The Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) will accompany the work, and the multi-purpose vessel "Mellum" from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration will be deployed. In addition, the Wilhelmshaven traffic control center will monitor the area with radar and the AIS system, which ships use to exchange navigation and ship data.
The diving operation, aimed at shortening the masts of the "Verity" to increase the water depth, comes after the fatal shipping accident. Unfortunately, accidents like this one involving the "Verity" and "Polesie" colliding have the potential for devastating consequences, including shipping delays and losses.
Source: www.dpa.com
