Yacht sinks after fire near Ameland; no passengers found

A yacht sank around 90 kilometers north of Ameland after a fire on Tuesday. Helicopters, ships, and a Coast Guard airplane were used to search the waters nearby all night, but no passengers were found. The Coast Guard reported that the search had now ended.

German colleagues told the Dutch coast guard about a yacht that was on fire at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday. They had received a report about a ship in the area. A Coast Guard airplane, which was already flying a patrol, flew to the location instantly and found the burning yacht. However, no people were found onboard or near the ship.

According to the Coast Guard, the burning yacht was sailing near a windmill park, which resulted in many nearby work ships helping in the search. The yacht had no identification or location systems. It took a few minutes after the report came in for the boat to sink.

The police are starting an investigation, the Coast Guard said.