On August 10th, 1957 the Pamir left Buenos Aires for her homeward bound voyage with a full cargo of 3708 tons of barley (not loaded in sacks).

Journeys of the hurricane Carrie and the Pamir

Beginning of September a depression originated west of Africa and turned into a hurricane taking course towards the Caribic but suddenly started to alter course north, then east, then east-to-south east.

On the early morning of September 21 the Pamir was suddenly faced with strong winds from Northeast – showing the Hurricane Carrie would past behind the ship.

After the sails were removed quickly – the last ones being cut due to strong windforces and the urgency – the ship got upright again.

Around 11.00 o'clock local time the ship suddenly started to increase her list to port. XXX Messages (Urgency message, any traffic over radio has to stop) were sent and shortly afterwards SOS was radioed: "Here german fourmastbark Pamir at position 35.57 n, 40.20 w, all sails lost, lopside 35 degrees, still gaining, ships in vicinity please communicate, master". And then at 14.54 GMT "SOS, SOS, SOS from DKEF rush rush to us, german fourmast broken Pamir danger of sinking, master".

Absecon

Several ships started to take course towards the Pamir, however at 1.03 p.m. local time she capsized and sank 30 Minutes later on position 35°57' N and 40°20' W, 600 miles south south-west from the Azores Islands.

Geiger

The research, co-ordinated from the US Coast Guards cutter Absecon, lasted 9 days.

Search plan

50 ships and the planes from 13 countries participated.

The Pamir's lifeboat

The Pamir's lifeboat

Out of the 86 men in the complement, including 52 cadets, only 6 survived (4 seamen and 2 cadets).

Lifting up the lifeboat

Five men (K.-O. Dummer, K. Fredrichs, H.-G. Wirth, V. Anders, K.-H. Kraaz) were rescued by the Geiger the 24 september.

Lifting up the lifeboat

Un marin sauvé (Die Welt)

Un marin sauvé (Die Welt)

Aboard the Antilles

Another seaman (G. Hasselbach) was rescued by the Absecon on september the 25th. (Testimony).

The wreck had a large international impact.

On board the Geiger

The cadet Volkert Anders with his father captain Walter Anders (Die Welt)

The cadet Volkert Anders with his father captain Walter Anders

On board the Geiger

Four months later, the committee of inquiry in Luebeck did not yielded a clear conclusion.

One year after, the german Navy put in service the school sailing ship Gorch Fock.