Heavy-Lift Vessel UHL Freedom Leaves Three Injured Off the Netherlands
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The heavy-lift vessel UHL Freedom, operated by the German shipping company United Heavy Lift, suffered engine trouble and dragged its anchor during a severe storm in the North Sea off the coast of the Netherlands on October 25. Three crew members were injured, and two of them were airlifted by helicopter for medical treatment.
The Incident
The vessel, flying the Portuguese flag and carrying 25 crew members on board, was at anchor in Anchorage Area No. 9, about 29 kilometers from Schiermonnikoog, when it began dragging anchor amid force 9 winds and waves that sources place between 4.5 and 5 meters. After the anchor lost its holding power and the vessel was left with limited engine power, it remained unable to maneuver for a period of time.
Rescue Operation
After 14:00 local time, the Netherlands' Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Den Helder alerted Germany's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Bremen, operated by the DGzRS, and requested assistance. The German rescue cruiser Hamburg and the German emergency tug Nordic were deployed, along with Dutch rescue boats from Ameland, Schiermonnikoog and Eemshaven, as well as the emergency tug Guardian and a Dutch Coast Guard helicopter.
Injuries and Evacuation
Initial reports indicated five injuries, a figure the Dutch Coast Guard later corrected to three, all with minor injuries according to marinetraffic_maritimenews. Two of the injured crew members were winched aboard a helicopter and transported to Groningen Eelde Airport, from where they were taken by ambulance to the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) for treatment. The nature of the injuries was not disclosed.
Vessel Status
According to safety4sea, around 18:35 local time the Dutch Coast Guard confirmed that the UHL Freedom had regained limited engine power and was moving within Anchorage Area No. 9, after which the rescue boats returned to their bases and the German units also withdrew, while the tug Guardian remained nearby as a precaution. The UHL Freedom is a heavy-lift vessel built in 2021, with a length of 150 meters according to marinetraffic_maritimenews and 149.99 meters according to ports news rusia, a beam of 25.6 meters and a gross tonnage of 16,729 tons; ports news rusia adds that it has a deadweight of 14,032 tons and belongs to United Heavy Lift GmbH & Co. KG, a Hamburg-based company founded in 2015 that operates more than 20 heavy-lift vessels.
