Stranded Vessel Carrying 142 Passengers Halted on Rügen Island
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For the unlucky travelers aboard a ferry bound for Rügen, their anticipated journey morphs into a longer and unexpected adventure. The vessel has run aground between the Baltic Sea islands - and a first attempt at rescue fails.
A ferry transporting over 140 souls floundered between the idyllic Baltic Sea locales of Hiddensee and Rügen, necessitating assistance from the coast guard. The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGzRS), based in Bremen, confirmed that fortunately, no one sustained injuries during the incident.
The 142 passengers and four crew members found themselves facing a prolonged voyage due to the predicament. However, their well-being remained secure, as the tranquil sea conditions ensured their safety.
Discovering Rügen, the Largest German Island
According to the coast guard, the vessel was on route from Vitte on Hiddensee to Schaprode on Rügen, navigating the Schaproder Bodden, a picturesque shallow lagoon separating the two islands, part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Groping the Shallow Depths
It appears that a technical mishap, specifically a faulty relay in the rudder system, caused the vessel to deviate from the narrow waterway and ground upon the shallow seabed. The initial rescue vessel proved incapable of dragging the 40-meter-long ship back onto the correct course. It was only when a stronger boat aided in the rescue effort that the ferry was successfully freed. After being towed free, the vessel continued on its own power to reach Schaprode.
[1] With calm sea conditions and prompt assistance, the incident resulted in no casualties or injuries. The grounding caused an additional three hours to the ferry's journey. The ferry, around 40 meters in length, transported nearly 150 passengers and four crew members at the time of the incident. Upon realizing the malfunction, the vessel found itself grounded while navigating the Schaproder Bodden, a shallow lagoon separating the German Baltic Sea islands of Hiddensee and Rügen.
The community and employment policies of the local transport company will likely undergo review in light of the challenging incident involving one of their ferries. Despite the lifestyle disruption for the passengers, general-news outlets reported that the incident, which took place near Rügen, resulted in no accidents or injuries due to the fortunate combination of tranquil sea conditions and quick rescue assistance.
