Ongoing Five injured on tanker drifting in heavy seas off Schiermonnikoog
A tanker lost control in heavy seas north of Schiermonnikoog on Sunday with five injured people on board. Rescue crews from the Netherlands and Germany have been sent to help.
A tanker has drifted out of control in the sea north of Schiermonnikoog on Sunday with five injured people on board, the KNRM said. A KNRM spokesperson said the ship broke loose from its anchor.
The ship is drifting between waves of more than four and a half metres high. Rescue stations of the KNRM, the Dutch sea rescue service, on Schiermonnikoog and Ameland have been deployed.
A KNRM spokesperson said three of its lifeboats, from Eemshaven, Schiermonnikoog and Ameland, are on their way, along with a coastguard tug and a helicopter. Two German rescue boats, from Borkum and Hamburg, have also been called in.
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KNRM (Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij)
The Royal Dutch Sea Rescue Institute is the Dutch organisation that runs lifeboat stations along the North Sea coast and the Wadden islands. Its crews respond to emergencies at sea and near the coast, such as ships in distress, injured people on board vessels, and people in the water. It works together with the Dutch Coastguard and other emergency services when a maritime rescue is needed.