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Drama on the Elbe: Car falls off ferry and sinks into river!
Two serious accidents on the Elbe: car sinks near Sandau, ferry collides in Hamburg. Injured people and rescue operations in focus.
Drama on the Elbe: Car falls off ferry and sinks into river!
On Tuesday evening there was a dramatic incident in Sandau an der Elbe. A car rolled off a ferry and sank into the water. The incident occurred around 7:30 pm when the water police suspected that brake failure of the vehicle had led to this unfortunate event. However, the driver was able to save himself in time and was uninjured, although he was completely soaked.
The vehicle drifted about 150 meters downstream before sinking and landing in the Elbe channel. Emergency services from the police, fire brigade and the DLRG, including divers, were quickly mobilized to secure the car underwater. The vehicle was finally recovered on Wednesday afternoon, and fortunately no oil or fuel leaked into the Elbe. Despite the dangers, ferry operations remained undisturbed while the area was closed to shipping traffic.
Two incidents on the same day
The events in Sandau were followed by another incident on the same day in Elster. There was a collision between a ferry and a paddle boat containing a man and a woman. The man fell into the water, but was rescued by the ferry driver with a dinghy. He suffered mild hypothermia. There were several dogs in the paddleboat, one of which remains missing. These incidents highlight the challenges associated with traffic on the Elbe.
Following the shocking events in Saxony-Anhalt, a more serious accident on the Elbe in Hamburg was also reported. A barge crashed into the passenger ferry “Övelgönne”, injuring eleven people, including one person with life-threatening head injuries. The collision occurred in foggy conditions shortly before 6:45 a.m. near the Köhlbrand Bridge. The ferry was significantly damaged in the collision but was not in danger of sinking.
Help and support for those affected
The fire brigade was on alert and sent around 55 personnel to the scene of the accident, who provided the passengers with warming blankets. A total of around 25 people were affected, although the exact number of passengers and employees remained unclear. Some of the survivors reported shock and cold as they were drenched by the ferry's beeper spray. The water police have started investigating the accident.
The incidents shed light on the dangers that exist for both passengers and shipping on the Elbe. The responsible authorities are required to review and optimize further safety precautions in order to prevent such accidents in the future.