The unusual incident was reported to the Sassnitz water police yesterday lunchtime. At the scene, the 36-year-old driver of the delivery vehicle told the officers that he had stopped in the town harbour near the quayside to make a delivery. While he was still in the hold of his van, the vehicle had started moving on its own.
Its front axle rolled over the edge of the quay onto the deck of the DGzRS rescue cruiser "Harro Koebke". The cruiser's railing was severely damaged and the parcel deliverer sustained minor injuries in the cargo hold of the delivery vehicle. A breath alcohol test was negative.
A towing company later managed to pull the van back onto the harbour quay and remove it. The delivery driver was charged with an offence. According to an initial estimate by the police, the total damage amounts to around 7,000 euros.
Operations in a challenging sea area
The "Harro Koebke" is a rescue cruiser of the 36.5 metre class. She is moored in Sassnitz harbour on the west pier. She is manned around the clock by five men. The crew consists of eleven salaried and twelve volunteer sea rescuers led by foreman Andreas Schumacher.
The area of operation is the busy area off the coast of Rügen, where traffic flows between the western Baltic Sea, Scandinavia, Poland and the Baltic States intersect. There are also numerous motorboats and sailing yachts travelling around the island, and the chalk cliffs, which are popular with tourists, are also a constant source of Sea rescuers.
The "Harro Koebke" was built at the Fassmer shipyard in Berne on the Lower Weser and was put into service in 2012. The ship's name commemorates an entrepreneur from southern Germany who made a substantial donation to the sea rescuers from his estate. The name of the daughter boat is "Notarius" and refers to one of the central figures of the traditional Bremen Ice Race of 1829, which has supported the sea rescuers with donations for decades.
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
