Accident at sea: Naval aviators rescue shipwrecked people from distress at sea
Boote Redaktion
· 16.10.2025
The crew of a seven-metre-long boat stranded on a sandbank in the Seegatt - help arrived just in time for them. The rescue operation was initiated when the foreman of the Wangerooge volunteer centre was called by friends of the crew in distress. The German Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Bremen, which is operated by the DGzRS, immediately alerted the navy's SAR control centre (SAR = Search and Rescue) in Glücksburg.
Rapid assistance from the air
Fortunately, a SAR helicopter was already in the air at the time for a winch exercise with the rescue cruiser from the Nordstrand station and was able to fly directly to the scene of the accident. Using a rescue basket, the two men were rescued from the wreck one after the other and flown to the naval base in Nordholz, where they were finally handed over to an ambulance.
Previously, both a cutter fishing nearby and the rescue boat "Fritz Thieme" from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) had tried to reach the shipwrecked people. However, the sea rescuers came within a few metres of the boat stranded on a sandbank, but the current in this area made any rescue attempt impossible.
Dangerous waters between the islands
The Seegatten - the area between the East Frisian Islands - is also regarded by experienced water sports enthusiasts as an extremely popular destination. Challenging territory. One Precise navigation is essential here, as the fairways lead past sandbanks, which can become a trap at low tide or if the position is not accurately determined. Between Spiekeroog and Wangerooge, Buhne H, which is notorious among water sports enthusiasts, also protrudes far into the sea inlet, which requires particularly careful navigation.
The fact that the fairways between the East Frisian Islands can constantly shift due to natural dynamic processes is particularly treacherous. What is still marked as a safe fairway on an older nautical chart may already be a dangerous shallow area today. For this reason, water sports enthusiasts should always obtain up-to-date information on the position of the fairways and sandbanks before setting sail.
The cause of the current accident is not yet known. The Wilhelmshaven water police have started an investigation. The seven metre long damaged boat had to be abandoned.
