Ship with 18 on board sinking after collision off IJmuiden coast

A ship with 18 people on board is rudderless, and sinking off the coast of IJmuiden after a collision with another ship. The Dutch Coast Guard is using a rescue helicopter to begin disembarking the first crew members, and it sent a second helicopter to the scene.

Another helicopter was also dispatched by the Belgian Coast Guard at the request of the Netherlands. Rescue organization KNRM said that it dispatched two boats to assist in the operation. 

The sinking ship is believed to be a German freighter named Julietta D. Its engine room was becoming flooded after a collision with the Pechora Star, a tanker ship. The Julietta D is also rudderless. The Coast Guard could not yet say what happened, but it said the situation on the Pechora Star is stable.

The Julietta D is about 25 miles west of the Dutch coast north of Noordwijk. It would take a vessel launched from the Netherlands about two hours to reach the sinking ship, according to Thomas Spekschoor, a reporter working on the story.