A ferry and a water taxi collide off the Dutch island of Terschelling. The little ship is sinking. There are eight people on board. Two die despite immediate rescue attempts. There is no trace of two others. Helpers have no hope of finding them.
Two people died when a ferry collided with a water taxi off the Dutch island of Terschelling in the Wadden Sea. Two others are still missing. The water taxi “was badly damaged (…), passengers fell overboard,” said Mayor of Terschelling, Caroline van de Pol. The rescue workers came very quickly but unfortunately could not save all the passengers, she added.
According to media reports, the missing persons are a man and a 12-year-old boy. There is no longer any hope of recovering the two missing people alive, said van de Pol. According to the information, the rescue workers searched the beach for them. Several injured were taken to the hospital. In the evening, the rescuers stopped searching for the two missing persons. It should not be resumed to the same extent on Saturday, as the newspaper “De Telegraaf” reports.
On Friday morning, around 7.15 a.m., the “Stormloper” water taxi with eight people on board crashed into the “Tiger” fast ferry off the Wadden Sea island of Terschelling. The accident happened a few hundred meters off the island in a fairway in shallow water. What exactly was the cause is still unclear. There was neither storm nor fog. However, witnesses reported on the radio that both ships had traveled very quickly.
According to information from the Coast Guard, the water taxi was badly damaged and sank. The sea rescuers were deployed with several boats and were able to rescue six people, including the captain. Two more people were resuscitated – but in vain, it said. They succumbed to their injuries, the Coast Guard said.
The high-speed ferry “Tiger” was on its way to Harlingen on the mainland in the north of the country with around 27 people on board. Although she was severely damaged by the impact, she was able to continue her journey to Harlingen on her own. According to the emergency services, all people were able to leave the ferry unharmed. The water taxi has since been recovered and towed ashore. Experts are now examining the ships.