Helgoland ferry "Funny Girl" drifts disabled in the North Sea and is towed to Cuxhaven

Rescue operation under extreme conditions

Among the 69 people on board, including crew, was also a passenger who may have required medical assistance, according to DGzRS spokesperson Christian Stipeldey. „Wie DGzRS-Sprecher Christian Stipeldey erklärte, befindet sich eine Passagierin an Bord, die möglicherweise medizinische Hilfe benötigt." Conditions for the salvage were, in the rescuers' assessment, extremely demanding.

Stipeldey described the situation in stark terms: „Tatsächlich haben wir sehr herausfordernde Bedingungen für eine Schleppfahrt mit einem Schleppanhang dieser Größe. Die „Funny Girl" ist 68 Meter lang und auch entsprechend schwer. Wir haben dort draußen bis zu sieben Windstärken vorhergesagt. 50, 60 km/h Windgeschwindigkeit sind das, bis zu drei Meter Seegang und Wind gegen Strom." The rescuers had to brave up to force seven winds on the North Sea, as a DGzRS spokesperson reported.

After around two hours, the significantly larger salvage tug "Nordic" took the ship in tow in order to tow it to Cuxhaven. According to the DGzRS, the "Nordic" is normally deployed only in absolute emergencies. In the evening – at around 6 pm – the "Nordic" handed the tow over to the commercial tug "Wulf". „Gegen 18 Uhr übernahm schließlich der kommerzielle Schlepper „Wulf" das Seebäderschiff, da die „Nordic" eigentlich nur in absoluten Notfällen zum Einsatz kommt, wie es hieß."

Tugs "Nordic" and "Wulf" take over

From the evening onwards, the crew of the emergency rescue cruiser "Hans Hackmack" observed and accompanied the towing operation at close range; the DGzRS cruiser "Hermann Marwede" sailed back toward Helgoland. In Cuxhaven, the "Funny Girl" is to undergo a technical inspection, according to the responsible shipping company Adler & Eils.

The operator Adler & Eils announced that the passenger ferry "Helgoland" had taken over the return trip for the "Funny Girl" from the island on Saturday and had arrived in Cuxhaven in the evening. To maintain the connection to Büsum, the "Fair Lady" departed from Cuxhaven. „Zum Zielort Büsum startete schließlich von Cuxhaven aus die „Fair Lady"."

Consequences for ferry operations and travellers

According to the shipping company, the "Funny Girl" will also remain out of service at least on Sunday and Monday. „Die „Funny Girl" fällt laut Reederei auch noch mindestens am Sonntag und Montag aus." Tickets retain their validity; online tickets will accordingly be refunded automatically or rebooked or paid out at advance sales points. „Die Onlinetickets werden demnach automatisch erstattet beziehungsweise von den Vorverkaufsstellen umgebucht oder ausgezahlt."

Independently of the breakdown, numerous school students from Schleswig-Holstein were on Helgoland over the weekend, having taken part in the Helgoland relay marathon on Saturday morning. According to organiser Klaus Jens, a total of 50 schools were represented; each team fielded three boys, three girls, a parent and a teacher – 500 school students in total. In the primary school category, the Landschule an der Eider Wattenbek (Rendsburg-Eckernförde district) won; in a further category, the Johanneum Lübeck took first place.

The exact cause of the breakdown has not yet been conclusively determined, according to the Water Protection Police and the DGzRS. „Ursache war wohl ein Motorschaden, wie Wasserschutzpolizei und die DGzRS berichten." The shipping company Adler & Eils announced a technical inspection in Cuxhaven in order to clarify the background to the incident.