On Sunday, 25 October, the Netherlands Coastguard responded to a vessel adrift after experiencing engine problems. The incident involved the heavy-lift vessel UHL Freedom, which was situated 29 kilometres north of the Wadden Island Schiermonnikoog. Three of its crew members sustained injuries.
The UHL Freedom was initially at anchor but began dragging its anchor, meaning it could no longer maintain its position. The vessel therefore weighed anchor, but suffered engine problems at that very moment.
Stormy conditions, with force 9 winds and waves reaching five metres, left the vessel drifting and rolling heavily in the sea. Three crew members were injured. There were 25 crew members on board in total. The circumstances in which the crew members were injured and the nature of their injuries are not known.
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Mayday call
The Dutch Coastguard Centre received a distress call shortly before 2 pm. The response was immediately escalated, with additional units and the Coastguard’s Operational Team mobilised. A Coastguard helicopter was dispatched to the vessel and lowered a SAR nurse (ambulance nurse) on board. Several lifeboats operated by the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) also headed towards the vessel.
The Netherlands Coastguard’s emergency towing vessel Guardian was also sent to the scene, along with the German tug Nordic. Meanwhile, the Coastguard helicopter crew hoisted two injured crew members on board and transported them to the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG).
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Under way again
Early in the evening, the crew managed to restart the vessel’s engine. The UHL Freedom then resumed its voyage under limited engine power. The emergency towing vessel Guardian remains nearby and on standby.
The vessel’s destination and intended port of call are decisions for the shipowner, according to the Coastguard. MarineTraffic reported that the vessel had originally been heading for Emden, Germany. The 149.99-metre UHL Freedom was built in 2021 and sails under the Portuguese flag.
Picture: The Netherlands Coastguard’s emergency towing vessel Guardian (photo Flying Focus).
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