Any help came too late: a German sailor dies on the Heeger Meer
On the Fluessen, a large lake between Heeg and Stavoren in the province of Friesland, the rented sailing boat of German sailors capsized. Three of the four women on board - all wearing life jackets - manage to cling to the boat lying on its side, and a fourth is driven off. The fire brigade units from Heeg, Balk and Koudum come to the rescue with boats to save the women. The fourth is recovered alive but is in critical condition. The severely hypothermic woman is taken to the hospital by helicopter. Help comes too late and she dies.
At the time of the accident, the weather in Holland was very gusty. Gusts of up to 8 Beaufort mixed with sunny sections with little wind - a treacherous combination. Further accidents show that the weather presented the sailors in the Netherlands with challenging conditions at Whitsun: Two polyvalks were also towed by the Leegerwal fire brigade on the Sloter Sea, and a vlet with six sea scouts on board capsized in the bay of Lemmer. The KNRM, the Dutch counterpart of the DGzRS, was able to rescue all teenagers who were cooled down but uninjured through a quick operation. The mast of a charter clipper broke on the mudflats off Harlingen. The result: four injured on board, who were also recovered by the KNRM.
A sailor on Schlei was also killed this weekend. In strong winds he goes overboard in a jibe on the ship, which is only jibed off Maasholm. Attempts to rescue his fellow sailor fail. After the DGzRS has been notified, the rescuers can rescue the man who is floating in the water without a life jacket, but resuscitation is not successful.