The race against time. Divers are hoping for a miracle
1:51 PM EDT, October 25, 2023
On Tuesday morning on the North Sea, about 14 miles southwest of the German island of Helgoland, two cargo ships collided - the British Verity and the Polish Polesie. One person from the Verity crew is dead, two have been hospitalized and four are still considered missing.
The 301-foot ship, which was carrying steel from Bremen, Germany to the British port of Immingham, with seven people on board, sank as a result of a collision. Rescuers immediately initiated a rescue operation.
The body of one man was recovered, and later two living people were pulled from the water and taken to the hospital. Four crew members are still considered missing.
They may still be on the ship
According to Robby Renner, who is in charge of the rescue operation, it is possible that the crew members were trapped in the hull of the ship. For this reason, a diving operation was initiated at the spot where Verity sank. The ship is believed to be at a depth of about 98 feet.
We haven't found the missing people yet. Therefore, we must assume that they may still be on the ship. Our rescue operation is in full swing. We are doing everything we can to save more people - said Renner.
Rescue efforts are hampered by the conditions prevailing on the North Sea: a temperature of only 59 degrees Fahrenheit, wind blowing at a speed of up to 31 miles per hour, waves as high as 9.8 feet, and dense fog.
The water temperature at the time of the accident was about 54 degrees Fahrenheit – said Michael Ippich from the German Maritime Search and Rescue.
Ippich noted that if the missing crew members were to find themselves in the water, they could survive for about 20 hours. The ultimate endurance of their bodies would depend on their physical condition and the equipment they have.
The second freighter involved in the collision emerged with little damage. The Polesie was sailing from Hamburg to La Coruna in Spain. The crew consisted of 22 people. No one was hurt. The Polesie is much larger than the Verity, measuring approximately 590 feet.
