On April 22, the 22 meter long self-propelled barge Niels suffered water ingress on the Maas river near Linne, Netherlands. The vessel suffered water ingress in the cargo hold and was in danger of sinking. The Niels approached the shore where local fire brigade delivered a dewatering pump. The pump was able to keep the vessel afloat until additional pumps were able to remove the water from the hold. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
The 22 meter long tug Christian 2 sank on the Maas River near Stevensweert, Netherlands. The Christian 2 was pushing a gravel barge when it began to list when it attempted to make a turn. The tug suffered water ingress and the vessel eventually sank. No reports of injuries. Reports state the tug had released a small amount of oil pollution when it sank. Owners stated that salvage work on the tug was slated to begin in two weeks when water levels drop on the Maas.
The 85 meter long self-propelled barge Confid broke-in-two on the Maas River near Lomm, Netherlands. The Confid was loading 1400 tons of gravel when the vessel’s hull failed and broke-in-tow. The bow section remained above water while the stern sank. The four crewmen on board were able to escape by jumping into the water before the stern sank. Oil was spotted and authorities requested an anti-pollution vessel while booms were placed around the vessel. Reports states that some 7 tons of diesel fuel was on the Confid. A vehicle on board the Confid at the time of the sinking was later recovered. Divers surveyed the wreck, but no details reported to why the hull failed. Salvage of the Confid is expected to take a week as the gravel must be removed first.
