- The night-time salvage operation will focus on the freighter Verity's forepart.
The battered remnants of the sunken cargo ship "Verity" are set for recovery tonight, extending into early Wednesday. A representative from the Waterways and Shipping Administration acknowledged this during a site visit close to the incident location in the German Bight. Initially, the haul of the bow was planned for late afternoon, but hooking up the lifting cables encountered delays.
Given that divers can only operate during the low tide ebb, the available intervals are minimal. The upcoming chance commences at midnight.
Salvage operations come with a price tag of approximately 12.5 million euros
The ship was fragmented into two pieces beneath the surface. The rear portion of the vessel, or its stern, was hoisted out of the water by one of Europe's most powerful floating cranes last Friday and settled onto a base. Now, the retrieval of the front section is imminent.
The Waterways and Shipping Administration anticipates the total salvage expenditure to be around 12.5 million euros. At present, more than 70 personnel are on-site preparing for the conclusion of the salvage activity.
Accident in October
The motor vessel "Verity," carrying seven individuals, collided with freighter "Polesie" in the German Bight on October 24, 2023. The incident site lies southwest of Helgoland's high-sea island and northeast of Langeoog, an East Frisian island.
The 91-meter-long "Verity," sailing under the U.K. flag, sank following the incident. Authorities hypothesize that five of the seven sailors aboard perished in the crash.
Two seafarers were retrieved from the water. Two bodies were discovered, and the three remaining men remain unaccounted for. The "Polesie," with 22 individuals aboard, managed to stay afloat post-accident.
Due to the fragile condition of the sunken ship, an emergency evacuation plan has been put in place for the recovery process. If any unexpected complications arise during the salvage operation, an emergency response team is on standby.
