Drama on the Baltic Sea: Sailing yacht in distress - savior rush!

Drama on the Baltic Sea: Sailing yacht in distress - savior rush!

A dramatic sea adventure took place on the night of July 8, 2025 in front of the Graswarder peninsula when an emergency call of a sailing yacht ringed the alarm bells. Shortly before midnight, at 11:45 p.m., the three sailors-a woman and two men-reported via VHF channel 16 and a mobile phone that they were in need. Her yacht had become a victim of the lake in strong wind and waves; It had ran aground and ran full of water. The sailors brave bravely to get out the penetrating water with buckets while the yacht drove towards the open sea. The wind speed was 28 km/h and the wave height reached up to 1.5 meters, which further tightened the situation.

The German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecker (DGZRS) was alerted and was able to determine the exact position of the accident by mobile phone location. A few minutes after the voluntary sea rescuer from Heiligenhafen and the sea rescue boat Heiligenhafen were quickly on the spot. Thanks to their quick response, they were able to reach the sailing yacht and decided to keep your distance until a safe towing was caused. First they had to bring the inmates into calmer waters before a precise examination of the leak could be carried out.

rescue operation with combined forces

While the sailors stayed on board in the troubled lake, the sea rescuers monitor the situation exactly. After the yacht was dragged into calmer water, a leak sail could be applied and foster pumps were put into operation. This helped control the penetrating water. According to reports on the rescue operation, all sailors were well, but one of the men suffered a hand injury, which fortunately had no serious consequences. A sea doctor, which was also presented for support, took care of medical care.

The volunteer fire brigade Heiligenhafen and another sea rescue boat-the Helene from the DGZRS station Fehmarn-were also called for help. The fire brigade shone the site after a successful rescue and kept pumps on standby. A crane of the local shipyard should lift the yacht out of the water after it turned out that the keel sword had been torn down and grew large holes in the damaged area.

The importance of the DGZRS

The quick and efficient reaction of the DGZRS underlines the enormous importance of this institution for maritime security in Germany. Founded in 1865, the DGZRS was given the sovereign task of the sea rescue in German waters by the Federal Republic of Germany. At around 55 stations, around 180 permanent employees and more than 800 voluntary sea rescuers are in use at any time to help in the event of danger. Your work is financed exclusively from donations and voluntary contributions, which is all the more important in times of increasing challenges. Since its foundation, the DGZRS has saved over 87,000 people from distress, which illustrates the perception of its mission.

If you would like to find out more about the possibilities for alarm in the case of the sea, you will find more information on the DGZRS website. One thing is certain: the brave men and women of the DGZRS are always ready to save lives in an emergency, like the constant companions of the seafarers