Two European River Cruise Boats Suffer Collisions in One Week

Two European river cruise boats were involved in separate collisions over the past week, one on the Rhine near Duisberg and another near Szczecin, Poland.

Collision on the Rhine damages two vessels

On Saturday, a Dutch river cruise vessel collided with a Dutch inland cargo vessel near Voerde-Spellen, Germany, just downriver from Duisberg on the Rhine.

Shortly after 0300 hours on Saturday morning, the unnamed cruise vessel and unnamed cargo vessel collided mid-river. The port bow of the cruise ship was torn open, leaving a gaping hole measuring about 200 square feet in area. Remarkably, none of the 140 passengers and crewmembers on board were harmed, and no injuries were reported aboard the cargo vessel.

All of the hull damage was above the waterline, and both vessels remained able to transit safely. The cruise boat berthed in Wesel and disembarked its passengers for onward travel.

The Duisberg Water Police suspect that the cargo vessel may have caused the collision, and detained it for an inspection. The master was taken to the central station in Duisburg for blood alcohol level testing. Germany's Waterways and Shipping Authority is conducting a parallel investigation into the cause of the collision.

Collision on the Szczecin Lagoon

On Monday evening, nine people were injured in a collision between a river cruise vessel and a fuel barge in Poland's Szczecin Lagoon. The cause of the casualty is under investigation.

Near Chelminek Island, the cruise boat Junker Joerg collided with the fuel barge Argonaut, tearing a large hole in the Junker Joerg's port bow. The Argonaut sustained damage above the waterline, but no penetrations.

Both vessels made it to a safe pier at Szczecin under their own power. Initially, no injuries were reported, but when Junker Joerg reached port the crew called for an ambulance. Eight people had superficial injuries, a provincial medical service spokesperson told Polish agency PAP, and four medical teams responded to the scene. One 84-year-old woman sustained head and hip injuries, and she had to be hospitalized for evaluation.

An inquiry has been opened to determine the cause of the collision, and any evidence will be passed to Poland's State Commission for the Investigation of Marine Accidents.