During a severe winter storm at the beginning of January, the sea rescuers of the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS) together with the naval aviators of the German Navy rescued a Norwegian single-handed sailor from acute distress at sea. The skipper's sailing yacht was adrift in the choppy North Sea near Helgoland, unable to manoeuvre following engine failure and damage to the mast.

At around 13:45 on 7 January, the sailor made an emergency call to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, which is operated by the DGzRS. At this time, the yacht, which was around nine metres long, was about three nautical miles west of Heligoland. With gale force winds of nine Beaufort and wind speeds of up to 88 kilometres per hour, waves up to five metres high and snow and hail showers, visibility was reduced to less than 150 metres. Safe manoeuvring was no longer possible in these conditions and the sailor's life was in danger.

The command team immediately alerted the rescue cruiser HERMANN MARWEDE, which was stationed on Heligoland, and while the distressed vessel was driven further north, the crew managed to locate the damaged yacht after around an hour despite extremely difficult visibility conditions. Coincidentally, a naval helicopter was on a training flight in the area at the same time and remained on standby at the scene.

The sea rescuers tried several times to establish a towing connection with the exhausted skipper using a line shot device. However, as the man was no longer able to secure the lines on board, the naval aviators finally took over the rescue. They winched the Norwegian up and brought him ashore unharmed. An initial medical examination confirmed that he had survived the emergency well under the circumstances.

His yacht had to be abandoned. The Waterways and Shipping Administration is currently planning the salvage of the unmanned boat.

kdk, DGzRS