Wreck in the North Sea

Sunken freighter to be salvaged in 2024

The coaster "Verity", loaded with steel sheets, and the larger freighter "Polesie", 190 meters in length, collided in the German Bight around 22 kilometers southwest of Helgoland. The "Verity" sank quickly as a result.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Following the collision of two freighters in the North Sea off Heligoland, which resulted in several fatalities, it has now been announced that the wreck is to be salvaged in 2024. A contractor is being sought who can start the work "immediately after the contract is awarded and in any case complete it this year".

Contrary to what was first announced after the accident, the owner of the ship, the southern England-based shipping company Faversham Ships, declared that it did not want to salvage the sunken "Verity". The federal authority must therefore now take care of the salvage.

The tender includes the salvage of the wreck, the cargo and the fuel, including all water-polluting substances such as oils or cleaning agents.

The coaster "Verity", loaded with steel plates, and the larger freighter "Polesie", 190 meters in length, collided in the German Bight around 22 kilometers southwest of Heligoland. The "Verity" sank quickly as a result.(Bild: AFP or licensors)

Salvage is necessary
According to the authorities, a specific timeframe for the operation has not yet been set. This is to be determined by the salvage specialists and the Weser-Jade-Nordsee Waterways and Shipping Office. Most recently, it was said that the winter storms should be waited for first. According to the Waterways and Shipping Administration, salvage is still necessary. There is no acute danger.

The question of how the wreck could be salvaged at a depth of around 30 meters is still open - in one piece or in segments, for example. In any case, the contractor must ensure that there is no environmental pollution during the salvage work - neither from the "Verity" nor from the ships and equipment used.

The "Verity" in an undated photograph(Bild: APA/AFP/NEWS5/STRINGER)

On October 24, the "Verity" and the freighter "Polesie" collided southwest of Heligoland. The "Verity" sank. The authorities believe that five sailors lost their lives in the accident.

The captain was recovered dead. Four sailors are still missing. Two sailors were rescued. The 91-metre-long "Verity", sailing under the British flag, was carrying steel coils, i.e. rolls of large metal sheets.