- Stranded Freighter Verity Retrieved from Marine Depths
Around ten months after the tragic clash between two vessels in the German Bight, the largest remaining fragments of the submerged "Verity" were retrieved recently. A towering crane hoisted the roughly 50-meter-long fore section onto a platform, as a representative from the Waterways and Shipping Administration conveyed.
"What an impressive salvage mission that was carried out successfully and securely today!" remarked Eric Oehlmann, chief of the Waterways and Shipping Administration, in the release. He extended his appreciation to every individual for their exceptional, highly skilled work under challenging circumstances.
Just a handful of days prior, the ship's rear portion, which had split apart beneath the waves, was hoisted from the ocean floor. A tugboat will be dispatched to transport the rusted hull to the Netherlands for disposal.
Three sailors still unaccounted for
On October 24, 2023, at dawn, the coastal cargo ship "Verity" and the freighter "Polesie" collided in the German Bight, southwest of Helgoland's high-sea isle. Aboard "Verity" were seven crew members and 187 steel coil rolls as cargo. The ship sank swiftly. Multiple ships and a German Navy helicopter scoured the area for the sunken vessel, but the rough sea conditions, high winds, and chill made the rescue effort tough. Two individuals were saved from the water, but unfortunately, help arrived too late for five crew members. Two bodies were recovered, but three mariners were still lost at sea, and authorities suspect they perished in the disaster.
The salvaged foresection of the "Verity" will be carefully examined by marine engineers for any clues about the ship's sinking. Despite the successful retrieval of the ship's larger parts, the search for the remaining crew members will continue until they are safely found or confirmed lost at sea.
