SEA RESCUE - Tough Wind & Waves | Full Documentary

sea rescuers for generations they've been risking their lives for semen day and night and in all weather conditions their motto we head out to sea when others seek safe haven of course they're difficult situations their mission to help in any situation i thought you'll be gone in another five minutes the training as realistic as possible the missions sometimes extremely dangerous these are forces you can't define the hermann hems is a 27.5 meter class search and rescue cruiser stationed in cook's hoffen it operates in the north sea the crew a tight-knit community it's like guys sharing an apartment daily life enjoying the calm before the storm we try to do everything possible it's night a sharp wind is blowing alarm for the search and rescue cruiser helmand hems coxswain t-movie and his team are getting ready for their mission the team is experienced one person mans the bridge below another is waiting for the emergency doctor he'll be urgently needed today at sea engineer kai ships goes to the engine room where he starts the powerful engines over three thousand horsepower caused the helm and hens to tremble the heavy-duty engines bring the ship up to speed and keep it safely on course the systems have powered up emergency lights on the pier the emergency doctor is arriving by ambulance it's the on-call doctor from the city hospital the hermann hens puts out to sea the commands from the bridge are clear and apply to everyone including the cameraman switch the light off i can't see if the helmsman is blinded it causes serious danger the radar shows large vessels on their way to hamburg there's not much room for evasive maneuvers the emergency doctor is also given a life jacket he doesn't yet know what awaits him the emergency call was received by radio according to the fire department or the rescue coordination center a patient who's recently had surgery has burst her wound and is bleeding severely ten miles to the destination the hermann helms sets its course the engines are running as the search and rescue cruiser pushes on through the dark knight the first thing you think is what's the sea like what's the weather like and then of course you start thinking about the case not a lot is known a small sports boat is bobbing around out in the waves an injured woman who urgently requires assistance is on board the sea is rough tonight was the crew surprised the wind's very blustery with squalls today they might have set off in wind forest two or three when they felt safe and then it got up to six or seven weather like that isn't a problem for the hammond hems but it complicates the mission the plan is still to bring the injured woman on board the helmond hems and treat her there we have the stand equipment for extended first aid here so we can easily provide basic care [Music] we doctors also carry strong painkillers that are issued to us personally so in this specific case we can immediately provide treatment here on the table if necessary what's planned and what's possible aren't necessarily the same thing out here the sea makes the rules heading out to sea when others seek safe haven the motto of the german maritime search and rescue association for over 150 years the association's members have been risking their lives for semen initially they set out in row boats when help was needed the sea rescuers braved the wind and waves with the simplest of equipment not all of them returned back then only one person stood on board at the vessel's prow issuing commands the coxswain a title that's still around to this day the sea rescuers still trust in their own capabilities and their own material the ships are custom made with pretty unique characteristics they're built at the phasma shipyard near bremen this is where holger freisel works the sea rescuer and engineer is planning the next generation of search and rescue cruisers what's special about our ships is that they're relatively fast and very seaworthy that means they have to be shaped to move quickly and heavy seas to get where our help is needed so they have to be light stable and fast enough everything that goes against ensuring that they're sea worthy breakers and extremely heavy seas are often part and parcel of the sea rescuers missions shipbuilders avoid using the term unsinkable it doesn't exist that also applies to the search and rescue ships nevertheless they have a special feature that very few other ships possess they can all completely capsize and then write themselves again that's also put to the test as shown here but nobody wants to experience it is hopefully the crew has fastened their four-point seat belt so they can roll with the ship what's interesting about the engines is that the oil doesn't remain in the sump when they're upside down normally the engine would then cut out so we have a button that we can use to shut off the safety devices for the engines you notice beforehand that the weather's so bad it doesn't just come as a complete surprise if i as the skipper have an automatic function that might shut something off and i don't need it i have to remember to switch it off in good time beforehand the next generation search and rescue cruiser is being built here it still looks like a shining giant around 28 meters long and made entirely of aluminum but the ship only has a draft of two meters the daughter boats are also made completely of aluminum with a length of eight meters they're designed for heavy seas too later the screw will be driven through the shaft with the engine supplying around 4000 horsepower to the propellers there's no room for mistakes this work is accurate to around a half to one millimeter afterwards it's finely adjusted to two or three hundredths of a millimeter that's how accurately the shafts from the propeller and through the transmission to the engine have to be aligned not only the shaft involves precision work this is the wheelhouse where the ship is effectively controlled right now all you can see is scaffolding later on we'll be looking out onto the foredeck the walls around the windows are 10 millimeters thick the windows will be 19 millimeters thick that also includes the inclination of the corners where breaking waves are to be anticipated when we have really big waves with a swell of six meters out there and they rise to maybe 10 meters in break tons of water crash onto the foredeck and can also reach to up here and this structure has to be able to withstand that is looking for hairline cracks with a mirror they can prove disastrous later on the engineer has to check everything with precision the ship has to withstand enormous forces especially the bow these are forces you can't define once i was on board when we crashed into an uncharted sandbank at 20 knots anyway the sister ship or rather the previous ship was certainly able to withstand that yeah the crew but not the dishwasher it lost its door and everything inside the outer skin consists of two walls so the ship can still sail even when it's leaking thanks to its special design only a small part becomes flooded a search and rescue cruiser like this one has an eight-figure price tag like everything the association does the new build is financed by donations planning takes around one year as does construction joiger fraser claims he will have personally touched virtually every part of the finished ship unlike a freighter which is basically a hollow cavity for freight and is simple to build we have a lot of technology in a tight space like the daughter boat system the folding stern the automatic stern launching system the electronics configuring and implementing that is the essence of special shipbuilding a peaceful morning in cook's hoffen the search and rescue cruiser hermann hems is at its birth coxswain timovik and his crew are starting their active day duty sar search and rescue is written on the bow and is the search and rescues mandate in germany's territorial waters the coastal area is akin to a marine freeway which is why the sea rescuers tasks and missions are so diverse they might involve large ships in difficulty or with an injured person on board but smaller vessels also trust in the search and rescue and its fleet it's never boring each mission is different although it all sounds the same a yachts are on the ground or a motorboat has engine damage the situations are always different the weather the sea level the currents are different here in the elba you also deal with a lot of commercial shipping is a 27.5 meter class search and rescue cruiser the ship glides powerfully and quickly over the water in calm seas and also in heavy swells like this other search and rescue cruiser if there's a fire the crew mans the gigantic water cannons each can spray eighteen thousand liters of water per minute the pressure is enormous due to the thrust alone the cruiser is now traveling at over 10 kilometers per hour the north sea is far from calm here the hermann hems is making its way to helgoland the ship has to withstand meter high breakers and gale force wings which is what it's been built to do yeah this is the lower wheel house but we usually control the ship from above that's because we can see people in the water better from up there and secondly the ship's more under the water than above it in bad weather down there we just have water in the windows here we have the clear view windows that's the only way we can see anything steel shutters protect the ship from heavy breakers everything on board is fixed in place including the flower pot it could become a projectile in heavy seas the crew also has to fasten their seat belts in stormy weather here's the lower wheelhouse seat with its seat belts it makes sense in seas with six to eight meters waves that's pretty violent then you go into freefall if your belt isn't fastened you can smash your head in the ceiling on board everyone is clear about their tasks coxswain teemo vic is in command anna froze is a navigator too and can steer the ship or the daughter boat hoss trouba is more of a technician and right-hand man and kai ship's layer is below deck the engine room the steel gleams the engines certainly don't look decades old we're most important of course because this wouldn't run without us otherwise they wouldn't be able to move anything and lots of things are moving in the engine room over 3000 horsepower give the ship the necessary power the reason for this cleanliness is simple it makes leaks visible when you look at the bilges everything's clean you can spot an oil leak right away we can see that something's wrong and we need to deal with it it only takes a few minutes for the hammond helms to set off on a mission because the engines are always at working temperature and standing forward they're always preheated that's normal for our heating system and the whole ship they're preheated to about 40 degrees celsius the engine is the heart of the search and rescue cruiser the machines have to be reliable and function in even the most extreme situations that also includes missions with air support because when speed is crucial the sea rescuers call in the helicopters naval air wing 5 is stationed near cook's hoffen outside the aircraft is being prepared inside the mission briefing is taking place final details are being provided today the helicopter will be meeting up with the hem on hems maneuvers are planned off the coast the weather conditions are particularly important air temperature 10 to 12 degrees celsius water temperatures just over 10 around 11 degrees freezing level 0-9-0 we talk through the conditions and the weather we address problems and discuss the details of the entire flight again to rule out any misunderstandings that's why this is so tough there's no joking around we discussed the flight in all seriousness the hermann homes puts out to sea the maneuvers with the german army helicopter are routine but remain risky the helicopter comes within a few meters of the ship and everything is in motion the weather and the current are always different the helicopter only has to deal with the wind but we have the wind the downwash and the current to contend with the procedure is always the same but the conditions in the water vary the helicopter is a sea king the four-man crew knows and trusts one another we all rely on one another no matter what our position is on board the two pilots at the front the navigator or the flight engineer we all have to rely on each other completely because we're dependent on one another we all want to get home safely the hermann hems reaches the target area coxswain t-movie is controlling the ship from the bridge and has his eyes firmly on his surroundings and the instruments although this is an exercise a mistake could prove fatal we're here in the vauden sea it might look like we could go anywhere but 200 meters in this direction and it's over the water's too shallow then we have to break off it's not so good when the helicopter's hovering over us and we suddenly run aground when we're reversing at four or five miles an hour then the helicopter might fly into our mast kind of sign there's some problems the sea king climbs into the sky the helicopter will arrive in a few minutes will everything be okay the hermann helms is cruising through the elbe estuary near cook's hoffen the final preparations are underway this ship is awaiting the german army helicopter the two crews want to practice various winch maneuvers with the heavy helicopter hovering just a few meters above the ship we have to quickly pick up speed and reverse if anything happens so the helicopter can veer off forwards if we stood still the downwash would be too violent so the ship would drift away things are always different depending on the situation the wind and current are coming from different directions and the water depths are different it's never boring [Music] the sea king flies over the hermann hems at low altitude communication is by radio and very soon also by sight we usually start by winching a weight down onto our four deck and then a person the seaking is now headed directly for the hammond hems the flight engineer is positioned at the side door the soldier will be controlling the electric winch he maintains visual contact with the ship and communicates with the pilot by radio down on deck host cherbourne and anna froze are getting ready for the maneuver their most important tool during the exercise is a wooden pole with a metal arm and a ground cable without it they risk getting an electric the shock in the air produces voltage we ground everything so it doesn't go through a person's feet and body when they descend final arrangements by radio two quarters of stern and we're ready the helicopter performs its first maneuver total concentration among the pilots and crew on the helm on hands the helicopter comes very close to the ship cox when t-movie moves the hammond hems into position and sets the engines to slow a stern a soldier is lowered from the helicopter the foredeck looks tiny this is where he has to land the hammond hems reverses slightly the pilot follows with the helicopter and holds the sea king in position only then can the soldier reach the foredeck precision work in the air and on the water coxswain t-movie maintains the course and keeps his eyes on the instruments the depth gauge is crucial now if the ship runs onto a sand bank and stops abruptly the helicopter will fly into the mast the search and rescue cruiser reverses slightly the soldier is suspended in mid air but is nearly there just a few more meters to the foredeck in the helicopter the technician is seated at the electric winch he determines the load speed and direction nearly there hoss sherbal and anifreze grab the soldier with the ground cable first so that nobody gets an electric shock then they free him from his harness the helicopter remains in its waiting position the soldier will soon be going back up but not on his own this is a classic rescue maneuver in which a helper takes a second person on board the helicopter down on deck the final details are discussed the pilot and coxswain t-movie maintain their course the sea king is only hovering a few meters above the ship because both are in motion the helicopter's engines are cooled by the headwind anna froze is now joined to the soldier and will soon be ascending in the helicopter a second soldier is now controlling the electric winch under their uniforms all of the soldiers are wearing survival suits that keep them warm and afloat for hours but a maneuver that ends in the water would still be a disaster ane friso is off both quickly leave the boat anefrusa is wearing a chest harness and is secured the soldier is also gripping him with his legs that stabilizes them both in the air which is important when they're dangling from the steel cable the helicopter is now hovering about 20 meters above the hammond hems's foredeck and slightly to the side of the hammond hems in the air the crew monitors the maneuver higher up anifroza is dangling from the steel cable with the soldier they've nearly made it now they arrive entering the helicopter is simple they made it sea rescuer anna frieza is up in the air for now the helicopter flies off to perform an aerial maneuver and will set the sea rescuer down again when it returns a successful maneuver flying's not really my thing why not that thing up there vibrates quite a lot and you're just dangling helplessly by the cable going to see is much more my thing the exercise is finished but the sea rescuers day is far from over an uncertain night is ahead of them reacting in seconds and functioning in any situation that's what characterizes the sea rescuers and has saved many people's lives is on his way to his workplace the shrimp fisherman often leaves very early in the morning and remains out at sea for several days his profession is sometimes hard but gordon mavis is his own master on his own cutter it's a family tradition and his dream job my grandfather was a fisherman and my father also had his own company here when i was a child i knew i'd take over the company one day gordon mavis has never been afraid he knows the sea and nothing has ever happened until one day in april 2014 when everything changed all of the nets were out when the boats suddenly tilted to the side i'll never forget april 29th it's burned into my mind we were in this channel where my father used to fish and that day the ship somehow turned on its side listing slightly is nothing unusual when fishing the fisherman was familiar with the area he wasn't concerned yet however i then tried to raise the outrigger and i noticed the winch was having trouble and the ship suddenly listed i noticed that there must be something heavy on it [Music] the cutter tipped onto its side in seconds perhaps the net got caught on the seabed gordon mephis had no chance within seconds the cutter capsized to the port side gordon mephis and his crew were fighting for their lives on the other side of the elba estuary t-movie was serving on the hem on hands that day he remembers exactly that was two years ago the fishing boat in the wadden sea it was about six miles from its birth got its net caught and capsized in seconds [Music] set out three minutes after the alert in the cold north sea life or death is a matter of seconds and also depends on the when making the right decisions the vadency in the north sea is quirky in many places the water is very shallow and the hammond hems was unable to reach the capsized boat so the daughter boat beena was launched the hermann helms has a draft of 2.1 meters the daughter boat has 80 centimeters boats often run aground in the wadden sea we use bean in the daughter boat in shallow waters the hermann hems at full speed coxswain t-movie knew that every second counted out in the cold water of the north sea gordon mephis was fighting for his life i radioed mayday or tried to then i wanted to go out but the water was already rushing in i couldn't do anything i couldn't get away the hammond hems didn't take long to get to the accident site there were people in the water every second counted the daughter boat was prepared for launching during the approach the two-man crew was when you split up one navigator and an engineer go with the daughter boat and one navigator and an engineer remain on the hermann helms the hook securing bena shoots up launching only takes a few seconds with its engine running the daughter boat slips into the water before heading out to the capsized boat at up to 18 knots or over 30 kilometers per hour i pulled myself up as we were capsizing when the ship was upside down i was outside in the water of course you're in shock and then it was already coming and when we saw them yes photos of the capsized boat show the hopeless situation the ship is completely on its side gordon mephis had almost given up hope when the rescuers arrived sir what goes through your mind no idea at any rate nah gordon mephis needs some time after the accident the memories are still fresh and his lightheartedness has gone but he's recovered today he owns a new cutter and enjoys his work again in part because he knows he's not alone out there [Music] as i said if it weren't for the association i wouldn't be sitting here i'd be history and that's a fact gordon mephis owes the sea rescuers his life the water in the north sea is cold whoever goes overboard is in real trouble [Music] jens kofal is a doctor he's taken part in over a hundred missions with the sea rescuers he's experienced a lot during this time when man overboard is sounded it's always life-threatening the cold shock response kicks in immediately when a person falls into cold water the blood pressure increases and you start to hyperventilate or breathe quickly if there's a swell you can immediately get water in your lungs this response lasts for about two to three minutes and then abates slowly if you've survived that you try to remain afloat by swimming but that becomes increasingly difficult because the nerves and muscles begin to shut down and if you're not wearing a survival aid a buoyancy aid you drown done gordon mayfis was lucky he held on to the ship and the sea rescuers arrived in good time he did everything right if you're far out at siege try to hold on to a floating object and hold out until you're rescued if you're with other people you should gather together and hold on to one another if you're close to the shore and there's no rescuer in sight and no floating object you have no life jacket and you've survived the initial phases you can decide to risk swimming ashore although we know that people who are good swimmers in warm water aren't in cold water the cold water has proved fatal for lots of people there have been tragic accidents like the wife who tied her husband to the ship's side she threw him a line and sailed into port but she had been towing a dead husband so the best thing is don't fall in the water that's the most crucial thing sea rescuers and those who want to become one receive their training here it's hard and pushes many people to their limits when things get tough the sea is merciless [Music] it's actually the basic training course for every sea rescuer they join us from completely different professions i'm a tax investor in lower saxony this is a complete change from what i do every day i've been with the sea rescuers for six months now this is the first course that i've done no matter whether you're a newcomer or an old hand the training is strenuous and realistic fitness is a must the dangers at sea are countless and include leaks but how do you seal something when water is shooting into the boat from outside at very high pressure the sea rescuers push against the water with all their might but that alone isn't enough to seal the leak all i can do is push something into the opening to minimize the incoming water that gives me more time for further actions the course participants stuff foam material blankets life jackets whatever they can find into the holes this is how to gain valuable time in an emergency it works the leak is under control that was really interesting it was incredible how much water can flow through a hole like that at high pressure and it was a challenge to plug the leak but it was really good fun that can really happen and it's an important experience and exercise that you have to have had so you're prepared for the worst case design it's not always as easy as it looks the sea rescuers are equipped with the latest technology and even rocket launchers they use them to shoot lifelines to ships in distress the recoil is enormous the rocket with the rope flies around 30 meters i shoot a thin line to the distressed boat and then i can fasten a long line like a towing line to it and get it to the boat let go the line pulls itself in a bang and seconds later the rocket hits the target every sea rescuer is also a firefighter because a fire on board can quickly end in a catastrophe every sea rescuer is given basic training and fire fighting even choosing the right fire extinguisher is important because helping can otherwise prove fatal co2 can suffocate the fire but can also have the same effect on the rescuers if handled incorrectly it's dangerous in crammed small spaces we've used co2 and it displaces the oxygen not that you end up on the floor although it looks pretty dangerous the conditions at the training site are perfect there's rarely this much space on a mission you won't find a perfect space like this anywhere else there'll be angles and edges so if you have to put out a fire you'll have to go round corners fires are lit and put out each participant has to complete every exercise there's always a danger that's just how it is you have to anticipate and deal with it the sea rescuer's real element is water that's where they're at home they have to know what they're doing to survive it's often cold but their clothing protects them i'm wearing an additional overall under my suit it's lined dry and warm these neoprene collars at the neck and wrists keep the suit dry inside as well but the suit only offers warmth and protection if it's put on properly as some of the participants are going to find out life rafts inflate automatically in the water but it isn't easy to get in them remaining together in the water is crucial to survival because a whole group is much easier to spot than an individual whoever drifts off alone has little chance of surviving that's why sea rescuers practice staying together in the water overcoming your own fears is also part of the training it's a long way down from the key wall scrambling up is strenuous but without any swell a whole lot easier than out at sea mistakes are still forgiven here at sea they could prove fatal we have our sign in vain there's water in the legs obviously this suit wasn't completely fastened when we started at any rate i'm now carrying a couple of kilos of water rescuing extinguishing recovering the whole training program has to become second nature so it's available in a split second when needed anybody can initially become a sea rescuer the majority are volunteers plus a few hundred permanent employees the search and rescue is independent financed purely through donations and staffed by very special people see rescuers keep their cool serve a cause and are part of a team nobody will get rich here when you're at sea on a mission you get four euros 60 now search and rescue cruisers are special ships for the heaviest of seas on a mission in the port they're also the crew's home and dormitory for men in a very cramped space the chemistry has to be spot on everything will be okay right it's like guys sharing an apartment we're together 24 hours a day for 14 days if there's a bad apple there it doesn't work that's why everyone has a trial week on board before being recruited we check to see whether he becomes part of the team or not outside the crew is making the pierce ship shape it's supposed to look nice and offer the sea rescuers a pleasant atmosphere it's never boring here we're trying to make everything clean and tidy because after all it's our home away from home you're here on board for six months and so you try to make things as nice as possible everyone's moody occasionally but you get to know one another over time and know how to handle it after missions and exercises the hermann hems takes fuel on board and occasionally also fresh water what's called bunkering takes place just around the corner in cook's hoven's industrial port speed is essential here too if an alarm suddenly comes the hermann hems has to be ready clear up the equipment nothing's left lying around we always have to be ready for the next mission we don't know what it will involve so the ship's always fully equipped as if it were brand new the tasks are clearly distributed and the procedures are second nature engineer kai ships is responsible for refueling on board fuel and oil the oil is supplied in canisters refueling is done by hand this this is engine oil we're getting 300 liters when we do an oil change we need all so we take the canisters and pour it into the tank over there after around 20 minutes 300 liters of oil have been poured in on the other side 3 000 liters of fuel are being taken on board at the same time engineer kai ships connects the fuel hose for the ship's diesel when we are refueling we have to make sure that we don't spill any because of pollution you have to watch out that nothing happens while the hermann helms is bunkering in cook's hoffen everything opposite the port of hamburg revolves around the weather the german weather service closely monitors the situation on the coasts and at sea from its offices here sudden changes in weather can be dangerous particularly for smaller boats an area of low pressure can approach within a few hours and if yard swims out on the water he needs information quickly so that he can reach land again in good time if need be if a storm is approaching the german weather service issues warnings through various channels of course i'm thinking about the safety of ships and people's lives when i issue warnings that's why you don't usually issue warnings thoughtlessly when you see a storm or an intense low pressure system approaching you're more likely to issue something sooner because you know that lives might be at stake hurricanes when they tear across the sea things get hairy several meter high waves make the sea unpredictable dirk mulla and his wife live just behind the levee in cook's hoffen the two have been helped by the sea rescuers before whenever the hermann hems sets off for a mission in heavy seas the experienced yachtsmen's thoughts are with the crew [Music] we live directly behind the levee maybe 400 meters from here so when the search and rescue cruiser sets off in an emergency the noise is carried across the levee to the first few houses even in a storm or a hurricane when you're lying in bed and the weather outside is awful it makes you think because you can well imagine what's going on out there particularly at night you don't want to be in their shoes then you think about the people they're going off to rescue it's a completely different league when they go out the mood in the port is relaxed engineer kai ships is trying his hand at telecommunications and get some helpful tips from the neighbors tie the rope around his neck when he goes up the ladder then he won't fall so far now man is a real comic since you've got your life vest on you'll have to stretch it to the other side what's that i've got a life vest on man that's why they call it a balls off belt inside it smells of food the coxswain is cooking again today time for meeting i usually do the cooking the mission's more important of course but we try to look after ourselves the other advantage is the cook doesn't do the dishes the men take care of themselves and go shopping once a week if they receive an emergency call even a full shopping cart is abandoned lunch is a ritual with everybody sitting together at the table today it's sea rescuer steak lots of meat on toast with mushrooms and onions in the evening everyone goes about his own business and enjoys what privacy there is on board don't say i've got to cut that everyone has his own room here there are four of us during the day we deal with the ship at some point we call it a day we're on board 24 hours a day ready and waiting but the daily routine is much the same as on land breakfast lunch supper and everyone does his own thing in the evening one reads the other watches tv one surfs the internet the german weather service has issued a storm warning for the evening gusts with wind force seven at first it means nothing to the crew of the hammond hems the day draws to a close during the night a storm is raging off the coast a small sports boat is bobbing around in the waves an emergency call comes in someone is in danger out there apparently a woman's operation scar has burst and she's bleeding heavily so the sea rescuers request an emergency doctor the men don't know exactly what's awaiting them the sea is churning small boats have difficulty maneuvering the wind's blustery we've been having squalls today they might have set off in a wind force of two or three when they felt safe and then it got up to six or seven it's pitch black as the hermann hems puts out to sea the crew can only see something when it's completely dark on the bridge lots of ships are moving out at sea there's a risk of collision the harbor police is also on site but unable to do anything because the sea is too rough okay we can't cross over it's too choppy we can only give you a bit of lee giving lee means positioning the ship in the wind in front of the sports boat to protect it for the crew of the hermann hems that also means having to use the daughter boat bina in the pitch black knight the crew boards with the emergency doctor kai ships releases the lock the daughter boat slides into the angry sea on the hammond hems the men monitor the situation from the bridge and keep an eye on their surroundings the radar shows bina approaching the boat in distress the waves are high and the daughter boat has to make sure it doesn't collide with the sports boat a risky situation our daughter boats just approached the other boat and transferred the doctor and probably one of us but we couldn't we wanted to get the person over here but we couldn't because of the swell so we and the doctor went over with our emergency backpack which proved very difficult a 72 year old patient was waiting for me on the boat she'd fallen on board and couldn't get her breath plus she was suffering from anxiety the woman can't remain on board the small boat she needs to go to the hospital but it's impossible to get the patient onto the sea rescuers ship in the angry sea the sports boat skipper is also exhausted he couldn't cope anymore he was pretty much at the end of his tether that's understandable he was concerned because of his wife's injury the next port is only a few nautical miles away but the water is very shallow the search and rescue cruiser could run aground the crew decides that bina will accompany the distressed boat there we took her to port with the daughter boat and transferred her to the emergency service for treatment the journey to the port isn't easy because of the swell the hermann hems lights up the water with its powerful searchlights the sports boat also has to be kept on course it was important for us to look after the yacht's owner i directed him so that he followed bina there's nearly a collision with the daughter boat when the distressed boat comes too close the waves slacken off in the shallow water the daughter boat and the distressed boat arrive safely in the port looks okay the hermann hems is positioned further out off the coast the crew now lights up the harbour police's ship it came into contact with the distressed boat but nothing appears to be damaged the patient was also transferred successfully the patient was transferred to the ambulance our crew and the doctor are coming back on board now around the hermann hems the sea remains choppy and a sharp wind is blowing bina returns to the search and rescue cruiser and anna froze has difficulty entering the tight space at the stern the daughter boat has to hit the carriage to be pulled up with skill and momentum ana fruser steers the daughter boat onto the hammond helm stern at 2 30 a.m they return to their home port the night will be a short one but the sea rescuers are satisfied all in all pretty good the weather was a bit violent for such a small boat with a swell of one and a half meters things could have gone differently but we can be satisfied with the outcome in that weather things could have gone far differently it's quiet on board on the way back everyone seems to be lost in his own thoughts [Music] what will the rest of the night bring and what about the next day the sea rescuers of the hermann hems don't know but they'll be there when help is needed heading out to see when others seek safe haven

Channel: WELT Documentary

Views: 1,024,277

Keywords: full documentary, full documentaries, hd documentary, hd documentaries, free documentary, welt documentary, welt documentaries, full length documentaries, documentary film, top documentaries, reports, factual film, rescue, sea rescue, german, german sea, germany, weather, wind, waves, north sea, baltic sea, hurricane, rescue cruise ship, Elbe, cruiser, ship, rescuer, frescuers, search and rescue

Id: twaFWnTnsyg

Length: 48min 17sec (2897 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 31 2021