More than 40,000 Visitors at the Day of the Sea Rescuers on the North and Baltic Seas
Even on the Day of the Sea Rescuers, the crews of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) are of course ready for action on the North and Baltic Seas – and this year they were also deployed several times. A particularly dramatic emergency occurred on Sunday, July 30, 2023, off Norderney: A Polish crew’s sailing yacht had run aground on a sandbank, with the strong surf threatening to destroy the ship – a life-threatening situation. Using the lifeboat OTTO DIERSCH, the sea rescuers from the volunteer station Norddeich towed the sailing yacht with its crew of three out of the danger zone.
Around 3 p.m., the German Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC Bremen), operated by the DGzRS, learned of the emergency situation of the two women and one man: In the Schluchter sea gate, about one and a half nautical miles (about three kilometers) northwest of Norderney, they had run aground with their sailing yacht. The strong surf repeatedly lifted the slightly more than ten-meter-long boat and caused it to hit the hard sandy bottom – it was in danger of breaking apart. The MRCC immediately alerted the volunteer sea rescuers from the Norddeich station, who set course for the distressed vessel with the lifeboat OTTO DIERSCH just a few minutes later. In addition, the sea rescue cruiser HANS HACKMACK ended its visit to Langeoog for the Day of the Sea Rescuers and headed to the scene of the accident.
On site, the sea rescuers from Norddeich tried to get as close as possible to the sailing yacht with the OTTO DIERSCH to establish a line connection. However, with a southwesterly wind of force 6 (up to 49 kilometers per hour), waves up to two and a half meters high, and ebbing water, this was a great challenge. “We had to be careful not to run aground ourselves,” describes the volunteer foreman Marcus Baar of the situation. When the surf slightly displaced the sailing yacht, the volunteer sea rescuers immediately recognized their chance: They quickly approached the distressed vessel with their lifeboat so that they could throw a line across – the towing connection was established.
The OTTO DIERSCH towed the sailing yacht with its uninjured crew into deeper water up to Norderney. The daughter boat EMMI of the sea rescue cruiser HANS HACKMACK took over the distressed vessel and brought it to the safe harbor. “It was a close call,” said Marcus Baar after the rescue. A little later and the distressed vessel would probably have been destroyed by the strong surf, and the sailing crew would have become shipwrecked.
The sea gates between the East Frisian Islands of Juist and Norderney are considered extremely challenging even by experienced sailors. Precise navigation is required as the fairways pass by dangerous sandbanks. Running aground in this area is extremely dangerous for ship and crew. Due to natural dynamic processes, the fairways can constantly shift, which is why it is essential to obtain current information about the situation before approaching the sea gates.
More than 40,000 guests visited the DGzRS stations between Borkum in the west and Ueckermünde in the east over the past weekend for the Day of the Sea Rescuers.
They observed rescue demonstrations, inspected the sea rescue cruisers and boats – and at some stations experienced how quickly the sea rescuers set out on actual missions after an alarm to save lives. The action day, initiated by the DGzRS more than 20 years ago, is of great importance for the sea rescuers. Because their entire work continues to be financed by donations and voluntary contributions.
For those who have never had the opportunity to see a sea rescue vessel from the inside, you can visit the sea rescue vessel OTTO DIERSCH online in 3D:
