On May 16, the barge B 309 ran aground on the Weser River near Porta Westfalica, Germany. Reports state the barge had stranded near the entrance to a gravel pit resulting in the barge blocking river traffic in the area. A special excavator was brought to the scene and unloaded the barge of its cargo of sand. The B 309 was later refloated with no reports of damage. Reports state the navigation channel was also dredged after the incident. See the video of the incident here.
On the evening of May 17, the 90 meter long, 1755 dwt barque Cuauhtémoc allided on the East River off Brooklyn, New York. The Cuauhtémoc had departed from the South Street Seaport with 277 crew on board when it suffered a mechanical breakdown having the vessel going astern. Pulled by the current, the Cuauhtémoc struck the Brooklyn Bridge with its masts.
The Brooklyn Bridge had a clearance of 127 feet, but the masts of the Cuauhtémoc reached a height of 147 feet. The result was all three masts sustained damaged with parts of the mast toppling over. Two crew members were killed and another 20 were injured from the incident.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. News reports stated a tugboat was supposed to help the sailing ship leave its berth, but failed to keep the Cuauhtémoc under control. This suggests the tug was under powered or positioned incorrectly to keep the sailing ship from striking the bridge. Other accounts state the Cuauhtémoc may have suffered an electrical fault just after it left the pier.
The Cuauhtémoc was taking part in a goodwill voyage for the Mexican Navy and was bound for Iceland before the incident. More information about the vessel can be found here.
On the evening of May 16, the 23 meter long towboat Ina XL (MMSI: 244139668) sank in the port of Antwerp, Belgium. The Ina XL was reported to be moored near the Noordkasteel Bridge when it suffered uncontrolled water ingress and partially sank next to the quay. Authorities were alerted and requested divers to assist in refloating the towboat. No reports of injuries.