- Vessel collision tragedy
- Rescue and recovery efforts
- Cruise ship Iona’s involvement
The British-flagged Verity, en route to the port of Immingham in the United Kingdom, has reportedly capsized after colliding with another vessel.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts
Two individuals were rescued, and a corpse was recovered following a collision between two cargo ships off the coast of Germany, which also led to the destruction of a British vessel.
The ships Polesie and Verity collided approximately 14 miles southwest of the island of Heligoland at about 5:00 a.m., according to Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies.
Four of the seven individuals who were aboard the British-flagged Verity, at an altitude of 91 meters (300 feet), are still missing.
Verity was en route from Bremen to Immingham, England when the incident occurred.
The other vessel, Polesie, flying the flag of the Bahamas, was sailing from Hamburg to Spain with 22 passengers on board.
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According to MarineTraffic data, the two vessels initially approached each other at about 2:57 UTC (3:57 am UK time) and again at 3:45 UTC (4:57 am UK time).
Involvement of Cruise Ship Iona
The Iona P&O, a Southampton-based cruise ship, was en route to Rotterdam when it stopped near the last known location of Verity to assist in the rescue operation.
A representative for P&O Cruises confirmed that its vessel is participating in the search and rescue operation.
The spokesperson further stated, ‘The incident is ongoing, and Iona’s cooperation is in accordance with international maritime law and the company’s moral and legal obligations.’
As Iona plans to be at sea today, this occurrence should not affect the scheduled call to Rotterdam tomorrow or the subsequent itinerary.
Additional medical personnel are en route to the scene via helicopters, and the emergency command stated that the cruise ship is staffed with physicians able to treat passengers if necessary.