Following the collision of two freighters in the North Sea near Heligoland, the four missing people from the seven-person crew have still not been found. The search was called off on Tuesday night at 10:45 p.m., a spokesman for the accident command announced Wednesday night.
We can only speculate whether the missing people could still be found. A decision is expected to be made later in the morning on how the search will continue.
Why the “Verity” and the “Polesie” collided remains unclear
It is still unclear why the roller coaster “Verity” with seven sailors on board and the bulk carrier “Polesie” with 22 people were left in the dark on Tuesday morning German Bay collided. The accident occurred about 22 kilometers southwest of the offshore island of H.Elgolândia and 31 kilometers northeast of the island of East Frisia Langeoog – in one of the busiest maritime areas in the world. Verity’s signal was lost at around 5:20am on Tuesday.
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Rescue teams from several ships, divers and helicopters searched for the castaways for more than 20 hours – in sometimes strong winds, waves up to three meters high, currents and poor visibility. An airspace closure of 10 nautical miles around the site and 1,500 meters high has also been implemented, the spokesperson said.
How the emergency command searched for the missing
The accident command assumed that the “Verity” sank due to the collision. Numerous ships and a German Navy helicopter were used to search for the missing. It was said that the “Polesie” was dynamic.
The accident command had a sensor aircraft fly over the maritime area to obtain more detailed information. A cruise ship traveling through the maritime region is also supporting the search. People could receive medical care there, it was said. Doctors are on board. Additional medical personnel were to be flown to the crash site by helicopter.