In the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands, the cargo ship UHL Freedom lost its anchor during a storm and effectively became uncontrollable. There were 25 crew members on board, three of whom were injured. Two of the injured were evacuated by helicopter. Bild reports, writes UNN.
Details
The incident occurred on Sunday approximately 30 kilometers west of the German island of Borkum, near the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog. Due to a storm reaching up to nine on the Beaufort scale, the vessel began drifting under the influence of the wind and current. Engine problems created an additional hazard.
Dutch rescuers and the German rescue cruiser Hamburg came to the crew’s aid. A helicopter brought medical specialists on board, who provided assistance to the injured. Emergency tugboats were also dispatched to the site of the accident.
The 150-meter-long and 26-meter-wide cargo ship sails under the flag of Portugal and is owned by the Hamburg-based company United Heavy Lift. It was carrying, among other things, wind turbine blades and was heading to the port of Emden in northern Germany.