DIVERS are searching the wreckage of a British cargo ship that sank in the North Sea after colliding with another vessel.
One sailor died and four were missing after the 299-foot Verity met its fate after crashing into the mammoth 623-foot Bahamas-flagged Polesie.
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Ships and helicopters joined in the search for survivors from VerityCredit: PA
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Four crew members are still missing from the 2,600-ton Verity
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GPS footage shows the moment Polesie appears to collide with Verity
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A German navy helicopter and several ships are helping in the searchCredit: AFP
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P&O cruise ship Iona (pictured) joins rescue efforts after horrific accidentCredit: Submitted
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A major search and rescue operation was launched off the coast of Germany after the 5am crash – which happened 14 miles off the Heligoland archipelago.
Emergency services faced brutal 30mph winds, 10ft waves and fog as they searched for the missing in temperatures as low as 11C.
German rescue services said seven people were on board the Verity when it hit Polesie.
One dead crew member was pulled from the area and the other two were rescued.
Shortly after the signal from the Verity was lost, the wreckage was discovered at a depth of about 30 feet, according to maritime authorities.
Disaster Command chief Robby Renner said: “We are now doing everything we can to save more people alive.
“There is a chance, and I repeat: a chance, that the missing people are trapped in the hull.”
Divers will be sent to the wreckage to check for signs of life, Renner said.
The two men rescued earlier were taken to hospital after being treated on rescue boats.
The water temperature at the time of the collision was 12C, in which people can survive for about 20 hours.
But the chances of survival in the brutal North Sea depend on the victim’s physical health and whether they have life jackets or suits to protect against the cold.
Conditions in the area are deteriorating and underwater visibility is making rescue operations difficult.
Chilling GPS footage has revealed the moment Verity collided with Polesie.
The Polesie could be seen continuing ahead before turning around and appearing to turn back across where it hit the British ship.
Marine Traffic shows the Polesie near the crash site with a frequently updated position – but Verity does not appear to have sent a signal since the accident.
A P&O spokesman told The Sun that their cruise ship Iona had joined the search for survivors in the North Sea.
They also provided medical assistance to anyone who needed it, but the cruiser had since left the scene of the accident.
British passengers on the P&O Iona cruise ship were woken 45 minutes later by a public address announcement that revealed the crew were helping to locate the missing people.
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Shop worker Rhys Johnson, 24, from Hampshire, told The Sun: “Helicopters, search boats and two of our RHIBs helped.
“Yesterday we left Hamburg for Rotterdam, and we were about 200 meters away from the ships. It’s incredibly disturbing.
“Everyone here is sad, worried and panicking.”
A spokesman for P&O Cruises said: “The incident is ongoing and Iona’s cooperation is in line with international maritime law, as well as the company’s moral and legal obligations.”
Several other rescue vessels and a German Navy helicopter are also on the scene assisting in the mission to locate the crew.
Verity and Polesie collided approximately 14 miles off the south coast of Heligoland, Germany – it remains unclear how the collision unfolded.
Polesie managed to stay afloat with 22 people on board, who are said to be unharmed.
Heligoland acts as Germany’s central command for maritime emergencies, from where the rescue ship Hermann Marwede was dispatched to coordinate the search.
Volker Wissing, Germany’s transport minister, said on X, formerly Twitter: “Following the collision between the two ships off Heligoland, my thoughts are with the crew members and their families.
“I thank the rescue teams who have been on duty since early morning. They are doing everything they can to save the missing.”
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The Verity collided with the Bahamian-flagged Polesie, which remained afloat with 22 people reportedly unharmed on boardCredit: Vesseltracker/@maasspotter
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P&O cruise ship Iona (pictured) assisted in a search and rescue mission to find the missing crew membersCredit: PA
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Photos taken by an Iona passenger show the search and rescue missionCredit: PA
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Verity doesn’t seem to have sent a signal since the crash
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Other rescue ships searched the sea in the early hours of Tuesday Credit: Twitter/diskdrive
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Several other vessels and a German navy helicopter are also at the scene while the rescue ship Hermann Marwede (pictured) is coordinating the searchCredit: AFP
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