Captain Barmen commanded the Ustetind on her fateful journey from Porsgrunn to the Tyne, carrying 600 tons of telegraph poles. As she crossed the North Sea, a severe gale pushed her towards the rocky shores near Silwick, Shetland. On Christmas Day, she lost a propeller, and despite deploying anchors, the vessel was driven aground.
Observers from a nearby village alerted the lifesaving crew, who braved a blizzard to rescue the crew using a line fired from the headland. The Ustetind settled deep in the water, her hull smashed, and was declared a total wreck by the next day. Over time, her wooden structure broke apart, with much of the wreckage washing ashore.
Some remnants may still lie in the shallow waters of Silwick Bay, marked by her anchor and cargo remains.