A couple from Vedbæk came close to encountering serious trouble during a sailing trip on Saturday. As inexperienced sailors, their outing quickly turned dangerous when the weather changed dramatically, leading to strong gale-force winds. Christian Trollo from the volunteer sea rescue service in Helsingør, DSRS (Dansk Søredningstjeneste, Danish Sea Rescue Society), explained that the couple lost control of their sailboat’s sails. When they tried to start the boat’s engine, it failed, forcing them to make a quick decision.
Instead of staying on the boat, the couple decided to swim the 150 meters to the nearest shore on the island of Hven. After reaching safety, they returned to Vedbæk via the ferry from Helsingborg (a Swedish city across the Øresund strait) and took the coastal train, where their children and dog were waiting for them. However, before leaving the boat, they managed to throw out an anchor.
Christian Trollo became involved in the incident the following morning when he, along with five other volunteers, set out towards the sailboat to retrieve it. It turned out that the anchor had not held, and the boat had drifted closer to the shore—ultimately just five meters from land. After a complicated rescue operation, they successfully pulled the boat back to Vedbæk without any visible damage.
Following the incident, Trollo has a clear recommendation: know your local sea rescue service. Had the couple been familiar with DSRS, they could have avoided the perilous swim and received professional assistance immediately.