Unmanned boat at anchor: This is how dangerous a swimming break can become

​It reads like a scene from the thriller *Open Water*: eight German holidaymakers go for a swim off the Greek island of Symi. When they try to return to the boat, it has disappeared. Seven are rescued; one man is still missing.

What began as a relaxed stop for a swim turned into a dramatic rescue operation off the Greek island of Symi. On the evening of Sunday 2 August, eight German holidaymakers were sailing in the Aegean Sea. The four men and four women went for a swim together. Then the unmanned boat drifted away. By the time the group wanted to return, the yacht was already out of reach. What followed was reminiscent of a dramatic scene from the thriller *Open Water*: the eight holidaymakers were adrift in the open sea, whilst their boat slowly but inexorably disappeared from view.

Two people managed to reach the shore under their own steam in the early evening and were able to alert the emergency services. Around four hours later, shortly before midnight, another woman swam ashore. Shortly after 1.20 am, a coastguard boat then located four more people, bringing the total number of those rescued to seven. One man remains missing. The Greek coastguard is continuing to search for him, using both air and sea units.

Why did the yacht drift away?

The sailing boat was later found unmanned. According to Greek media reports, no anchor had been dropped. However, there has not yet been any official confirmation of this from the coastguard. It is also possible that the anchor had not been properly secured and came loose. The true cause of the incident will be the subject of the investigation. The priority now (as of 4 August) is the search for the missing person.

What skippers can learn from this case

This incident shows just how quickly a seemingly harmless stop for a swim can turn into a life-threatening situation. After all, once the entire crew has gone into the water, the boat is no longer under their control. Even a moderate wind can be enough to drift a yacht a considerable distance from its starting point in a short space of time.

Before jumping into the water, you should therefore always check or take into account the anchorage, water depth, wind and current. Particularly in areas with changing wind and current conditions, the situation can change more quickly than you can react to whilst in the water. If in doubt, one person should always remain on board.

​Although there is no universal legal requirement to always keep one person on board whilst swimming at anchor, the following is strongly recommended for safety reasons: Firstly: If you need to cool off, make sure you can get back on board before jumping into the water – especially if the boat does not have a swimming platform. Secondly: As all sorts of situations can arise whilst at anchor that require a quick response, there should always be at least one person on board capable of intervening. In some areas, for example in Berlin’s waters, this is even a legal requirement. Thirdly: An anchor watch, which ensures that your own boat remains in position, is actually an integral part of good seamanship. It is also important to note that many hull insurance policies for boats exclude cover for damage if a vessel is left unmanned at anchor.

You can find the most important tips on anchoring in our article:

• ​Seamanship: Everything you need to know about anchoring – What to bear in mind and how to do it properly