The "Funny Girl" ferry arrives safely at Cuxhaven after engine failure off Helgoland

For nearly two hours, the ferry drifted at the mercy of a sea churned up by winds of up to 50 to 60 km/h and swells of three meters. The DGzRS spokesperson, Christian Stipeldey, described the conditions as particularly difficult for a tow of this scale: « 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 towing operation

The towing operation

At around 2:00 p.m., the rescue vessel "Hermann Marwede" took charge of the ferry to tow it toward the mainland, as docking at Helgoland was impossible. The "Hans Hackmack" then closely monitored and escorted the maneuver in the evening, while the "Hermann Marwede" headed back to Helgoland.

After about two hours, the significantly larger emergency tow vessel "Nordic" took over to pull the ship toward Cuxhaven. At around 6:00 p.m., the commercial tug "Wulf 4," accompanied by a second tug, finally took charge of the tourism vessel, as the "Nordic" is in principle mobilized only in cases of absolute emergency, the DGzRS specifies.

As the convoy approached the Elbe estuary, sea conditions eased, facilitating the final stage of the tow. The DGzRS had dispatched an ambulance to the Cuxhaven quayside as a precaution.

Upon arrival in Cuxhaven

Upon arrival in Cuxhaven

Among the 69 people on board was at least one woman suffering from a chronic illness that could have required care. Rescuers and firefighters had feared a heavier toll, but Laut der Feuerwehr Cuxhaven musste aber niemand vor Ort behandelt werden, nachdem das Schiff angelegt hatte, and the Feuerwehr confirmed that there were no injuries to report.

The 69 passengers and crew members had to wait more than twelve hours before being able to disembark. From Cuxhaven, the ferry "Fair Lady" then departed for Büsum, which it reached late in the evening, while the "Helgoland" served as a replacement vessel for the return service from Helgoland on Saturday.

Technical investigation and follow-up

Technical investigation and follow-up

In Cuxhaven, the "Funny Girl" is to undergo a technical Untersuchung by the company Adler & Eils in order to determine the origin of the engine failure. Crossings of the "Funny Girl" between Büsum and Helgoland are cancelled at least on Sunday and Monday. Tickets already booked online for those days will be automatically refunded or exchanged and refunded at points of sale, the company states.

A school marathon on the island

A school marathon on the island

Meanwhile, the Helgoland relay marathon was held on Saturday morning, bringing together 500 students from 50 schools, according to the organizer Klaus Jens. Each team was made up of three boys, three girls, a parent, and a teacher. The event took place with no direct link to the maritime incident, which occurred later in the day.

The episode highlights the vulnerability of North Sea maritime links to winter conditions and the importance of the DGzRS towing system, mobilized within minutes of the 12:45 p.m. alert.