The crew of the rescue cruiser RUHR-STAHL, stationed in Cuxhaven from 1958 to 1965, had heard over the radio that a freighter had run aground in the mouth of the Elbe. It was the Liberty ship “Fides”. Large numbers of cargo ships of this type were built in the USA during the Second World War.
The “Fides” was on its way from the USA to Poland with ore. In the knowledge of the extremely dangerous quicksand on the Großer Vogelsand, which was able to wash in a distressed vessel immobilized in a very short time, tugboats set off in addition to the sea rescuers from the Cuxhaven station.
However, the Italian captain refused any help. With the midday high tide he tried to free the ship with powerful machine maneuvers in a stormy southwest to west wind with seven Beaufort (up to 61 km/h).
It was only shortly following 1 p.m. that he finally accepted the help of a tugboat. In the meantime, the RUHR-STAHL had gone alongside and rescue workers had gone on board. Four smugglers tried to tow the “Fides” free. But it was already too late. The sea rescuers quickly noticed the first cracks in the steel.
The towing attempts had to be abandoned. As the water drained away, the heavily laden hull was increasingly stressed by undermining. Fides broke up at 4 p.m. with a loud crash.
In rough seas, the 32 Italians, the pilot and the salvage inspector took over from 4:05 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Two crew members of the “Fides” were injured. They were taken to the hospital when the rescue cruiser RUHR-STAHL arrived in Cuxhaven with the castaways. The wreck, which was in the immediate vicinity of the “Ondo”, disappeared completely in the quicksand over the months.
Every year, the sea rescuers drive missions on the sands in the Elbe estuary. In September 2021, a fishing cutter capsized there. Its five crew members managed to jump into a life raft, they were rescued unharmed by another fishing trawler.