Ten months after the collision of two cargo ships in the German Bight, another body has been recovered. This was announced by the General Directorate for Water and Shipping (GDWS) in Bonn. The sailor was found in the stern of the sunken freighter “Verity”, which was recovered on Friday.
The coastal motor vessel “Verity” collided with the freighter “Polesie” in the German Bight on October 24, 2023 – around 22 kilometers southwest of the North Sea island of Heligoland and 31 kilometers northeast of the East Frisian island of Langeoog. The 91-meter-long “Verity”, sailing under the flag of the Isle of Man, sank. It was on its way from Bremen to Immingham in Great Britain.
Three people still missing
Seven sailors were on board. Three of them are still missing. The captain was recovered dead. Two sailors were rescued from the water at the time. The sailor who has now been found was discovered in a cabin, according to the GDWS. The federal police brought the body to Hamburg at midday for further examination. “The lawyers of the remaining families were immediately informed of the discovery,” said a GDWS spokeswoman.
The “Polesie” had 22 people on board and was still able to float after the accident, as the responsible emergency command in Cuxhaven announced at the time. With a length of 190 meters, the “Polesie” was significantly larger than the “Verity”.
Stern recovered on Friday
On Friday, the 600-ton stern, i.e. the rear part of the ship, was recovered from a depth of around 40 meters using a floating crane. The search was then to be carried out specifically for the four sailors who were still missing at the time. According to the GDWS, one of the strongest floating cranes in Europe is being used for the rescue. The floating crane Hebo Lift 10 can therefore lift up to 2,200 tons.
The laborious and complex salvage of the ship required months of preparation, the authorities said. First, hazardous substances were pumped out of the ship’s tanks, then the freighter’s cargo – 187 coils of steel strip – was recovered. The entire wreck posed a danger to shipping, also due to its location.
Bug to be recovered on Monday
In order to lift the wreck out of the water with the floating crane, it was cut into two parts underwater. The cutting took nine hours. Lifting chains were attached underneath the wreckage to enable lifting. Divers also brought pumps into the wreck to reduce the weight during lifting.
The 580-ton front part of the ship, the bow, is to be raised on Monday. “The weather conditions are good, so the work is going according to plan,” said a spokeswoman for the GDWS. The search for the other missing people will then continue. A restricted area with a radius of one nautical mile will be in place around the accident site until the salvage operation is completed. The two wreckage parts are to be towed to the Netherlands and disposed of properly.