Overview
- At about 4 a.m. local time the skipper radioed the Bremen sea rescue coordination center to report a broken rudder and loss of maneuverability.
- The 8.5‑meter yacht was drifting roughly 4.5 nautical miles west of Fehmarn toward the busy Ost‑West shipping route through the Fehmarn Belt.
- The sailor had deployed a drogue, yet the strong southwest wind continued to push the vessel into the risk area.
- The Fehmarn station’s rescue boat ROMY FRANK reached the yacht in up to 1.5‑meter seas and established a towline after close‑quarters approach work.
- The exhausted skipper was reported uninjured, and the yacht was towed safely into Puttgarden harbor.