German authorities say there’s no hope for 4 missing sailors after North Sea ship collision

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have broken off their search for four crew members missing since a British-flagged cargo ship sank following a collision with a larger vessel in the North Sea. A senior official said Wednesday that there was no longer any hope for them. The Verity had seven people on board and was en route from Bremen, Germany, to the English port of Immingham. The ship sank shortly after the collision early Tuesday. Two sailors were rescued and the body of another was recovered. Officials said the water temperature at the time of the collision was about 12 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit). The survival time in water that cold is about 20 hours.