Accidents
Difficult work on the sunken freighter “Verity”
The tug “Wulf9” and the diving vessel “Vina” are traveling in the wreck area of the sunken “Verity” southwest of Heligoland. photo
© -/Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV)/dpa
The sunken “Verity” lies in the depths of the North Sea. Now divers have ventured to the wreck again – with an important mission.
After the fatal ship accident in the North Sea, divers discovered the sunken freighter over the weekend “Verity” was examined and partially dismantled. The experts used a crane to separate the main mast from the wreck, as a spokeswoman for the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping announced on Sunday afternoon. They then cut the front mast.
Both masts are now safely on the seabed at a depth of around 30 meters, said the authority’s spokeswoman. This is important so that ships can pass the area southwest of Heligoland without danger in the future. The water column above the masts was only around 15 meters – not enough space for deep ships.
On October 24th, the “Verity” and the freighter “Polesie” collided in the North Sea. The “Verity” sank. Authorities believe that five sailors died in the accident. Four of them are still missing. There was still no trace of them during the diving operation at the weekend.
Work on the wreck is difficult and depends on the weather and tides. According to the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping, a diving vessel and a tugboat left for the scene on Saturday afternoon. The diving ship was fixed there with anchors, and a total of three divers were standing by. They were able to inspect the wreck and its masts more closely for the first time on Saturday evening. The tug secured the work.
Illuminated barrel indicates the restricted area
The Waterways and Shipping Authority (WSA) accompanied the work. In addition, the Wilhelmshaven traffic center monitored the area with radar and the AIS system, with which ships exchange navigation and ship data.
On Sunday morning, the multi-purpose ship “Mellum” belonging to the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration initially pulled in a so-called single danger buoy, as the General Directorate further announced. The black and red, illuminated barrel marked the restricted area for shipping traffic. The zone remains half a nautical mile. It initially remained unclear whether the individual danger buoy would have to be repositioned after the operation was completed.
On the next dive, experts should examine whether there are any leaks on the wreck that require action. In the medium term, both the ship and its cargo should be brought to safety. The owner of the wreck was tasked with removing it.
According to the accident command, the 91 meter long “Verity”, which was flying the British flag, was loaded with so-called steel coils, i.e. rolls made of large sheets of metal. The ship from the British-Dutch shipping company Faversham Ships was on its way from Bremen to Immingham, a port on the English North Sea coast.