The German Federal Police was alerted after a rotor blade from a wind turbine broke off and was found drifting between the EnBW Hohe See and EnBW He Dreiht offshore wind farms in the North Sea. An initial recovery attempt by service vessels operating at the wind farms had been unsuccessful.
Following consultation with the responsible Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV), the patrol vessel BP83 Bad Düben was deployed to the reported location to secure the blade and manage vessel movements in the area.
The floating object was identified as a 20-metre-long and two-metre-wide section of a glass fibre reinforced plastic (GFRP) rotor blade from an offshore wind turbine. Due to its size and position just below the water surface, the blade represented a potential hazard to shipping as it was difficult for vessels to detect.
A support boat first towed the blade to the patrol vessel, where it was recovered onto the main deck via the stern ramp. The blade was then cut into several sections to allow the complete structure to be brought on board.
The recovered blade sections were transported to Cuxhaven, where they were lifted ashore by crane.
