On the evening of July 24, the 27 meter long tugboat Orca (MMSI: 211513200) sank on the Weser River at Bremen, Germany. The Orca was supposed to push a barge with a drilling crane to a construction site when suddenly the crane toppled over.  The crane struck the tugboat with enough force that it severely damage the hull allowing uncontrolled water ingress. The crew was able to escape to safety before the Orca sank to the bottom of the harbour. One person suffered minor injuries and received treatment.

Authorities responded to the scene and found diesel fuel sheen around the sunken tug.  Booms were deployed around the sunken Orca to prevent the pollution from spreading further into the river. A salvage company was contacted to recover the tugboat and the crane from the water. A few days later a crane was used to lift the Orca from the bottom.  The cause for the crane to collapse had not yet been determined.