All passengers saved: Ferry with 95 passengers stuck in front of Wangerooge

On the way to the island of Wangerooge, a ferry ran aground on a sandbank in front of the island on Thursday. The passengers were able to leave the ship via a ladder, but have to do without their luggage for the time being.

In the port entrance of the North Sea island of Wangerooge, a ferry ran aground on Thursday. There were no injuries among the passengers on board, said a spokesman for Deutsche Bahn (DB), which operates the ferry. All 95 passengers could be brought ashore with the help of the crew, as the Wilhelmshaven Water and Shipping Authority announced in the evening. The ship got stuck in a groyne. The cause is still unknown. The water police have started the investigation.

The passengers left the ship via a ladder. However, they could not take their suitcases to the island, an eyewitness said. According to a passenger, only the crew remained on board. A railway spokesman had initially announced that, for their safety, the passengers were allowed to stay on the ship and spend the night there.

Due to the silting up of the port entrance, two passenger ships from Harlesiel to Wangerooge will be canceled this Friday (April 1st) in the afternoon, as the Deutsche Bahn further announced. In addition, the water level forecast for these connections is below the mean values. The ferry service between Wangerooge and the mainland port of Harlesiel depends on the tide, which means that the ships operate at a different time every day.