Captain dead during fatal accident at the locks
On September 18, a container ship and a container barge reportedly grazed against a collision protection wire in the Canal.
What happened?
The cargo ship ‘Walter’ along with a container barge allided with a collision protection wire in the Uelzen lock of the Elbe-Side Canal at Esterholz. The vessel was enroute from Fallersleben to Hamburg when the incident occurred.
Captain loses control of ship:
The 56 year old captain of the ship reportedly lost conscience before entering the locks and the wheelhouse was not lowered down upon entering the lock. During the incident, the cabin slammed into the wire with full force and was torn off from the ship. The captain of the ship was fatally injured during the accident.
Captain dead:
The captain was rescued from the debris by the fire brigade but unfortunately could not be saved. He passed away after initially having been resuscitated. The two members who were present on the deck with the captain escaped with no injuries.
Lock closed off:
The lock was closed off for traffic during the night and the damaged vessel was pulled away from the lock with the help of tugs. The lock is expected to be opened for traffic soon.
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Source: NDR
