What Crew Members Say About Hmm-Gdansk

On March 12, 2022, the container ship HMM Gdansk, sailing from Antwerp to Hamburg, faced a tragic incident in the North Sea when a 41-year-old crew member fell overboard. The alarm was raised at 10 a.m. by the MRCC of the DGzRS after the seaman was reported missing, having last been spotted at approximately 5 a.m. The vessel issued a "Mayday" call while located about 30 nautical miles (or around 56 kilometers) north-northwest of Helgoland. A comprehensive search operation was promptly initiated, which included a "Mayday Relay". Various救力隊 were engaged in the extensive search, including the lifeboats Anneliese Kramer and Hans Hackmack from the DGzRS stations in Cuxhaven and Helgoland, and a multitude of other ships. Notable participants comprised the multi-purpose vessels Neuwerk and Mellum from the Waterways and Shipping Administration, the fisheries protection ship Seefalke, fisheries research vessel Walther Herwig III, emergency tug Nordic, and the federal police ship Bad Düben, as well as the surveying and research ship Atair of the BSH and the customs ship Helgoland. Several wind farm vessels and the container ship Bianca Rambow also took part in the efforts. In addition to the maritime search, aerial assistance was provided by a Dutch oil surveillance aircraft, a German Navy search and rescue helicopter, and helicopters from both the Federal Police and NHC Northern Helicopter. Despite the challenging weather, with good visibility yet a south-easterly wind at approximately six Beaufort and swell reaching around three meters, the search teams diligently carried out their operations in a predetermined area that was continuously updated by the MRCC. Unfortunately, as night fell, the search efforts were suspended around 7 p.m.