– Announcement –
British cargo ship Verity sinks in North Sea: body recovered, four still missing
A British cargo ship bound for the port of Immingham has sunk in the North Sea with a body recovered. There is still hope that more survivors will be found
A British cargo ship called the Verity traveling to the port of Immingham, near Grimsby, has reportedly sunk in the North Sea after colliding with another ship off the German coast.
– Announcement –
Sadly, it has been announced that one body has been recovered and four people are still missing. However, two people have been rescued.
The British-flagged ship collided with Polesie in the early hours of the morning about 14 miles southwest of the island of Heligoland.
The Verity, a 91-metre-long British-flagged ship, sank as a result of the impact. Polesie, a larger vessel measuring 190 meters in length, remained afloat with 22 people on board. The exact circumstances that led to the collision are still under investigation.
As soon as the collision occurred, a search and rescue operation was launched. Two people were rescued from the Verity, and one of them was immediately taken to a ground hospital.
The search for the four remaining missing crew continues, with several vessels, including the German Maritime Rescue Society's sea rescue cruisers Hermann Marwede and Bernhard Gruben, joining the effort.
The P&O Iona cruise ship, which was in the vicinity of the collision, immediately joined the search and rescue operation.
The ship, which had left Southampton three days earlier with destinations such as Hamburg, Rotterdam and Bruges, was actively involved in the mission.
Passengers on board the Iona reported witnessing distressing scenes and the ship's crew displayed professionalism throughout the incident.
The Iona, equipped with medical personnel and facilities, provided assistance during the rescue operation. The ship was reported to have recovered three bodies from the water, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
The presence of the Iona and its involvement in rescue operations brought some relief to the crew and passengers stranded in the North Sea.
Passenger Gary Corbin on board P&O Iona wrote on Facebook: “Two cargo ships have collided near us. Iona has picked up 3 bodies. We have helicopters and rescue boats. We are involved in search and rescue operation No we're moving for now.” Another holidaymaker, Clive Baker, said on Facebook: “I was woken up by the captain announcing at 5am this morning that we were taking a break to help if needed. Several missing from the sounds.”
Cathering Cox said her 81-year-old mother was on board the Iona. He wrote on Twitter: “My mum and daughter are also on board. I got a call from them this morning to tell me. Desperately sad. The crew have told my mum that the ship is not will arrive in Rotterdam by tomorrow night.
“The rescue began at around 3am with the ship slowing down quickly to help. It appears that the Iona followed the Polesie out of Hamburg. It was initially expected that they would be able to continue to Rotterdam by tomorrow morning.
“They have just told him that they won't get there now until early evening at the earliest. It is calm on board and everyone understands the circumstances. There are approximately 10 boats/helicopters involved in the rescue at the moment.”
The search and rescue mission for the missing crew members is still underway. The German Central Command for Maritime Emergencies is coordinating the operation, using various resources.
Germany's Central Maritime Emergency Command said. One of the ships, the British-flagged Verity, sank.
In an update it said: “Two people were rescued during the search for the shipwrecked cargo ship VERITY in German Bay. Another man could only be rescued dead.
“One rescued person has already been taken to a hospital ashore, the other rescued person was taken aboard the German Maritime Rescue Society ((DGzRS)) sea rescue cruiser HERMANN MARWEDE; he is now on his way to a hospital. There were a total of seven people on board the VARITY. Four people are still missing and the search for the missing people continues.”
Marine rescue cruisers, emergency tugs, pilot tenders and water police vessels, along with SAR helicopters, are actively involved in the search. In particular, the sea rescue cruiser Hermann Marwede is responsible for coordinating the efforts on site.
Despite challenging weather conditions, including six Beaufort winds and three meter high seas, search teams remain determined to locate the missing crew members.
The emergency command has also deployed a DO228 sensor aircraft to collect additional information and assist in the search. The involvement of multiple ships and helicopters demonstrates the comprehensive approach being taken to find the remaining crew members.
