Emergencies - Ships and helicopters search for missing sailor
A large-scale search operation for a missing sailor has been underway in the German Bight in stormy weather and high waves since last night. The crew member of a fishing trawler had fallen overboard into the ten-degree North Sea, according to the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service ( DGzRS ). The ship's crew then alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Bremen, which is coordinating the search and rescue operations, on Wednesday night.
Several rescue ships and helicopters then made their way to the remote scene of the accident, far out in the German Bight, more than 110 kilometers west of the offshore island of Helgoland. The rescue cruisers "Hermann Rudolf Meyer" from Heligoland, the "Ernst Meier-Hedde" from Amrum and the "Theo Fischer" from Nordstrand and the "Pidder Lüng" from List on Sylt were deployed.
In addition to the long journey, adverse weather conditions made the search operation particularly difficult. According to the sea rescuers, there is a force nine gale at the scene of the accident. There are swells with waves between four and five meters high. Far out at sea, the rescue teams also have to communicate via channels other than VHF radio - such as satellite phones.
The missing sailor was one of a crew of eight on a 24-metre fishing vessel flying the flag of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is still unclear exactly how the accident occurred.
Commercial and government vessels as well as a research vessel and a cruise ship were also involved in the search in the sea area. The crew of a car transporter initially took charge of the operation on site on behalf of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center. Two rescue helicopters also took part in the search: one from the "Sea Lion" naval aircraft from Nordholz and a search and rescue helicopter from Denmark.
After hours of operation during the night, the first rescue teams and ships were relieved, according to the DGzRS. "The operation is still ongoing," said a DGzRS spokesperson on Wednesday morning. The rescue helicopter of the naval aviators was to search the search area again in the morning. Several government vessels, including the emergency tug "Nordic", were at the scene this morning.
The DGzRS spokesperson said that the chances of the missing seaman surviving in the cold North Sea depended on several factors. Decisive factors include his state of health, his physical condition and whether the seaman was wearing protective equipment.
DGzRS press release
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- The missing sailor hailed from Lower Saxony, as revealed by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS).
- High waves and harsh weather conditions made shipping in the North Sea challenging, even for experienced seafarers like those participating in the rescue operation.
- The accident site was situated in the German Bight, near North Beach, a remote area notorious for its treacherous weather conditions.
- The German government and commercial vessels joined forces with the Danish rescue helicopter to search for the missing sailor in the vast expanse of the North Sea.
- Amrum, Schleswig-Holstein, and Helgoland all contributed rescue ships to the search operation, demonstrating the unity and cooperation of the German states in times of emergency.
- The DGzRS emphasized that weathermen predicted challenging weather conditions in the North Sea area for the coming days, making the search and rescue operations even more crucial.
- Taking a break from the operation, the crew from various ships gathered at the North Sea coastline, reflecting on the urgency and importance of their mission in the face of emergencies at sea.
Source: www.stern.de
