Rescue before Rügen: Fire of sailing yacht - crew in danger!

Rescue before Rügen: Fire of sailing yacht - crew in danger!

On June 11, 2025, a dramatic incident occurred on a sailing yacht west of Rügen. A two -member crew reported a fire in the machine room of her yacht and alerted the sea rescuers from the Darßer Ort/Prerow station. Despite the difficult circumstances that were reinforced by strong winds and the seasickness of the crew, the two managed to extinguish the fire with several fire extinguishers themselves before help arrived. But the challenges were far from over. In addition to the fire, the crew also fought with difficulties in the sailing and the strong dune, which did not make the situation easier, such as the Nordkurier reported.

The use of the sea rescuers lasted for several hours. After the fire fighting, they accompanied the yacht under safer conditions to Zingst. After all, when the sea was quieter, the rescuers put a sea rescuer over to the yacht with the daughter boat "Uwe", which helped to rescue the sails. Finally, the boat and crew and a dog were safely dragged to Prerow's island harbor. A happy ending for the incident that was completed at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

impressive achievements of the DGZRS

The German Society for the Rescue of Shipwrecker (DGZRS) celebrates its 160th anniversary this year and has saved over 87,000 people from dangerous situations in its long history. In 2023, the sea rescuers also impressively demonstrated their skills: they provided help for 3,532 people in over 2,000 missions and thus exceeded the average. A remarkable assignment took place in October 2023 when a fire broke out on the tanker "Annika" and the DGZRS rescue boats had to intervene quickly to save the seven seafarers while a second boat prevented environmental damage, like Yacht reported.

The DGZRS continues to rely on donations and voluntary support in order to be able to carry out their missions. The fact that they are active around the clock and in any weather speak for the tireless commitment of the helpers. No matter whether person overboard, fire, water slump or technical breakdowns - the sea rescuers are always ready to be on hand.

A look into the future

The forecasts for shipping in the North and Baltic Sea indicate an increase until 2030. Christian Stibeldey, spokesman for the DGZRS, emphasizes the importance of their work and is convinced that many missions will also be necessary in the coming years. The recent events, such as the demise of the "Verity" in the German Bay, illustrate the challenges in front of which the sea rescuers face.

The opening of the new island port in Prerow, which replaces the previous emergency port of Darßer place, also improves access to the waterways and thus facilitates the deployments of the DGZRS. With a solid backing from the population and the determination of helping people in need in the future, the sea rescuers of the DGZRS will take confidence in the coming season.