#14865
Provenance
Place
Utö, Örebåda
Date
--.--.1930
Description
The sinking of the M/Aux Draken
The sailing ship Draken was loaded with wood products from Oulu and was destined for Germany when it was wrecked in November 1929 off the southern tip of Utö, Kesnäs. The ship ran aground next to the small island of Örebåda just 200 meters from Kesnäs' outermost point. The ship was destroyed, but the crew, except for the carpenter who was washed overboard, managed to get to Örebåda.
True to their habit, the islanders went out to rescue those in need, but they soon realized that the storm was too much for them in their small boats.
True to their habit, the islanders went out to rescue those in need, but they soon realized that the storm was too much for them in their small boats.
The ten survivors, out of the eleven men in the crew, had managed to build a fire to keep themselves warm when they realized that the islanders could not come to their aid.
At the time, there was no sea rescue equipment on Utö, so they had called for help from the mainland. The wait was long and cold. The waves broke over Örebåda, extinguishing the fire and taking the young cook boy with them.
At the time, there was no sea rescue equipment on Utö, so they had called for help from the mainland. The wait was long and cold. The waves broke over Örebåda, extinguishing the fire and taking the young cook boy with them.
Two of the crew decided to try to swim across to Kesnäs headland. One man hit the rocks and died, while the other managed to get ashore behind the headland. To inform those remaining on the island of the swimmers' fate, a cross was nailed to the wood from the shore for the one who died and a star for the one who was saved.
It was not until the third day after the accident that the sea rescue equipment arrived at Utö. The storm had subsided and the sailors could be rescued from Örebåda. Six men out of eleven survived the accident despite the storm and the cold.
A memorial, the cross and the star, to the Draken accident was erected 60 years later, in 1989, on the Kesnäs headland.
The picture was taken in connection with a memorial service for the dead.
The picture was taken in connection with a memorial service for the dead.
Miscellaneous
From the album of Anni Abrahamsson, Medelby Erkas.
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