Dramatic sea rescue off Rügen: Sailors caught in a storm!

Dramatic sea rescue off Rügen: Sailors caught in a storm!

Unusual turbulence off Rügen: Yesterday evening, sea rescuers from the German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecked People (DGzRS) launched a courageous mission to rescue a Polish crew in distress at sea. The 16 meter long sailing boat was on its way to Rügen with a crew of eight, including several children and a member in need of medical attention, when it was surprised by strong winds and high waves. The DGzRS rescue control center received the emergency report on Monday evening and immediately mobilized two rescue units, which quickly set off.

The situation was alarming: force 8 winds and gusts of up to 74 km/h threatened the crew, who were no longer able to dry the boat themselves because water entered the boat and the engine failed. Despite their best efforts to take back control, they got no further. The stricken ships maintained contact with the coast guard in a position about two nautical miles north of Cape Arkona - but the cell phone connection was weak and repeatedly dropped out. Support also came from a research ship from the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research in Warnemünde, which made the rescue operation significantly easier. Eventually the boat was brought safely to Glowe, where the hypothermic and seasick man was immediately treated. The question of why the ship was at sea despite a storm warning remains unclear. NDR reports.

Another rescue operation at night

The night was particularly busy for the sea rescuers: In addition to this mission, the helpers rescued three sailors north of Rügen who had stranded their yacht on the cliffs. The emergency call came in early in the morning at 2:40 a.m. and called for immediate action. While the weather remained unpleasant, the yacht had drifted ashore against strong northwest winds, making the situation critical.

The sea rescue cruiser “Harro Kobeke” was alerted and arrived approximately 25 nautical miles from the scene of the accident. At the same time, the Glowe volunteer station also came to support with the sea rescue boat “Kurt Hoffmann”. Rescuers were on scene around 4 a.m. and launched a daughter boat to assist the three men on board the yacht. Unfortunately, the yacht was not only stranded, but had also suffered significant damage, including water ingress.

The sea rescuers reacted quickly: They gave the yacht a tow line, but the anchor could not be raised. To defuse the situation, a sea rescuer climbed onto the yacht with tools and cut the anchor chain. This made it possible to tow the yacht free. The rescue boats' bilge pumps were also in use throughout the entire event to pump out the water and keep the yacht afloat. The federal police supported the emergency services with the ship “Neustadt” to protect the smaller boats from storms and waves. Shortly before half past eight in the morning, the sea rescuers were finally able to dock the sailing yacht in the port of Glowe - the three men remained uninjured. Nordkurier reports.