Yesterday evening, the floating crane "Hebo-Lift 10" was able to lift the front half of the "Verity" to the surface and lift it out of the water far enough to manoeuvre the waiting transport barge underneath. The salvage work at the accident site took a total of six days. This was followed by weeks of preparationThe wreck, which weighs 2600 tonnes and lies at a depth of 37 metres, was initially cut in two.
A dead body was found in the stern of the "Verity"
The stern section with engine room and deckhouse, which had been salvaged on Friday, was already on board the barge. During the subsequent targeted search for the four missing seamen, one body was found in one of the cabins and handed over to the federal police. This means that three of the crew of seven remain missing. During the search and rescue mission following the sinking, two people were rescued from the North Sea and the captain of the "Verity" was recovered dead from the water.
A particular challenge during the necessary dives was that it was only possible to work underwater when the water was slack, i.e. during the transition period between high and low tide. The cut-up ship is now being transported on board the barge to the Netherlands for scrapping.
Any remaining wreckage at the site of the accident will then be removed before the area can be reopened to shipping.
The investigation into the accident is already underway
The accident involving the "Verity" occurred in the early morning of 24 October 2024 at the intersection of the busy Terschelling-German Bight and Jade Approach traffic separation schemes between Helgoland and Langeoog. The British-flagged general cargo vessel was on its way from Bremen to the UK when it collided with the 190-metre-long, 24,000-tonne bulk carrier "Polesie" (flag: Bahamas). The "Verity" was so badly damaged that it sank within a few minutes.
The Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has already launched an investigation into the accident. The incident has been categorised as a collision resulting in loss of life. As soon as the BSU has completed this work published the results of this very serious marine casualty in a report become.
