Bremsund

When the ship Bremsund departs Västervik on the afternoon of 11 December, the weather is terrible. It’s snowing and foggy, and strong northeasterly winds are blowing. Captain Andersson looks out into the dark and tries to determine exactly where they are.

The ship is listing slightly and is heavy in the bow, probably because of the load. When the captain sights a weak lighthouse beacon ahead, he orders the helm hard to port. Another beacon appears and he then realizes where they are. Soon after, the ship runs hard aground.

The shock is so powerful that the deckhand, Jensen, falls out of his berth, and in the galley where the chef is cooking, trays of food spill out onto the floor. It won’t be long before Bremsund takes on a heavy list. Everyone on board knows that the ship is about to sink. As the water washes in over the deck, the crew scrambles into the lifeboat.

They have been toiling at the oars in the harsh weather for four hours when they see the glow of the fisherman’s wife’s table lamp. The lifeboat has been taking in water, and two men have been busy bailing out the boat. When they arrive ashore, they walk up to the house with the lit lamp, where the fisherman’s wife offers them a hot drink and rest in front of the fire.

Today Bremsund lies at a depth of 27 meters. Despite over 50 years on the seafloor, the ship is nearly intact.