Two separate distress cases in the North Sea kept German sea rescuers busy, according to reports from T-Online, NDR.de, NWZonline, WELT and yacht.de.
In one incident, a yacht issued a mayday call after its sails were torn apart and its onboard systems failed, T-Online reports. The vessel was said to be drifting without lights and without orientation in the fairway off the island of Wangerooge, according to yacht.de. Rescuers reached two sailors who were in danger of losing their lives, NWZonline reports.
In the second case, a dredging ship became unable to manoeuvre and was drifting near a harbour, according to NDR.de. The vessel was later taken under tow away from the island, WELT reports, describing the operation as a small craft pulling a much larger one.
The reports do not specify the exact times of the two operations or the conditions that caused the yacht's rigging and systems to fail. The accounts also do not give the number of rescue personnel involved or the names of the vessels.
What to watch next: whether German maritime authorities release further details on the cause of the yacht's equipment failure and the dredger's loss of power.