shipping
Three divers on duty on the sunken “Verity”
Search for missing sailors from the sunken freighter “Verity”, which died after a collision on October 24th. photo
© The sea rescuers – DGzRS/dpa
On October 24th, the freighters “Verity” and “Polesie” collided in the North Sea. The “Verity” sank. Divers should now check whether there are leaks on the wreck – and whether there are any dead people on board.
The diving operation on the sunken “Verity” southwest of Helgoland began on Saturday afternoon. “A diving ship and a tug have now arrived in the wreck area,” said a spokeswoman for the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping. The diving ship is being fixed there with anchors, three divers are standing by. A tug is supposed to Secure work.
According to the authority, the divers are also checking whether there are still dead sailors on board the sunken ship. The shipowner’s insurance company is in contact with the Hamburg public prosecutor’s office, according to the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping.
On October 24th, the two freighters “Verity” and “Polesie” collided in the North Sea. The “Verity” sank. Authorities believe that five sailors died in the accident; four of them, aged 43 to 47, are still missing.
The emergency services now want to shorten the two masts of the wreck. According to the authority, the water column above the mast is around 15 meters. “The specific technical implementation will be decided on site,” said the spokeswoman for the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping. In addition, experts should investigate whether there are leaks on the wreck that require action. Two working days are initially planned for the deployment.
The Waterways and Shipping Office (WSA) is accompanying the work, and the multi-purpose ship “Mellum” from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration will be in use. The Wilhelmshaven traffic center also monitors the area with radar and the AIS system, with which ships exchange navigation and ship data.