World News
Four Still Missing After Sinking
The vessel has involved in a collision early this morning
Pic credit: Vessel Finder
Four people are still missing from a Manx registered vessel which sank earlier today off the coast of Germany.
One member of the crew is known to have died, while two have been recused from the sea by the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service.
The Isle of Man registered cargo ship Verity sailed from the German port of Bremen at 8pm local time last night with seven crew members on board.
At approximately 4am (local time) the Verity was involved in a collision with another vessel, following the collision the Verity sank.
This incident occurred in the sea area known as German Bight and the collision occurred South West of the Island of Heligoland.
The island’s Ship Registry has thanked the six German Maritime Search and Rescue Service cruisers, as well as all others involved in the rescue operation.
It said: ‘The Ship Registry’s thoughts are with the seafarers that sailed onboard the Verity, their families, friends and loved ones.’
The Isle of Man Ship Registry has a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) which will now conduct a casualty investigation into this tragic incident.
Germany’s transport minister Volker Wissing posted on Twitter thanking those involved with the rescue operation.
He said: ‘After the collision between two ships off Heligoland, my thoughts are with the crew members and their families. I would like to thank the rescue teams who have been on duty since early this morning. They do everything they can to save the missing people.’
Nach der Kollision zweier Schiffe vor Helgoland sind meine Gedanken bei den Besatzungsmitgliedern und ihren Angehörigen. Ich danke den Rettungsteams, die seit dem frühen Morgen im Einsatz sind. Sie unternehmen alles, um die Vermissten zu retten.
— Volker Wissing (@Wissing) October 24, 2023
