Video CMA CGM Feeder Collides with Barge Causing Two People to Go Overboard
Dutch and Belgian rescue teams responded to a serious collision on the River Scheldt which seriously injured one person and caused two others to fall overboard as a CMA CGM-operated container feeder and an inland fuel barge collided. One person was sent to the hospital while multiple vessels worked to stabilize the barge and prevent it from sinking.
The Dutch fuel barge Beringzee (82 meters / 269 feet) was underway at mid-day on Friday, May 30, between Antwerp and Vlissingen in the Netherlands, when it was being overtaken by Containerships Nord (20,200 dwt / 1,400 TEU). Authorities are still investigating how it occurred, but the barge was run over by the containership causing it to begin taking on water and leaking fuel.
KNRM, the Dutch rescue service, responded and reported that one person was seriously injured in the collision while the captain and one seafarer both ended up in the water. A large-scale rescue operation was launched, including the KNRM lifeboats Jan van Engelenburg and Zeemanshoop, a Coastguard helicopter, a Coastguard aircraft, police boats from both the Netherlands and Belgium, a patrol vessel from Rijkswaterstaat and several tugboats.
The captain of the inland vessel managed to bring the seriously injured passenger to safety from a part of the ship that was quickly taking on water. He also was able to rescue the sailor who had fallen into the water.
“The captain had sustained injuries and swallowed a lot of water during the rescue operation,” reports KNRM. He was taken by boat to shore and treated by an ambulance crew along with the injured sailor.
A Belgian police boat arrived at the scene and the seriously injured person was taken on board along with an ambulance nurse, who was part of the helicopter crew. The nurse was lowered to the police boat by the Coast Guard helicopter and the patient was taken to hospital by helicopter.
Barges were placed alongside the Beringzee to stop it from sinking and the fuel was being transferred to one of the barges. Reports indicated that there was a leak of likely a lightweight diesel fuel. It was expected to evaporate in the river.
The containership sustained only minor damage but was ordered to move into the anchorage to await an inspection. AIS signals show it is back underway as of Monday. It had been traveling from Antwerp to Dunkirk, France at the time of the collision.
Delivered in 2018, Containerships Nord was the first LNG-fueled ship to enter the CMA CGM fleet. The French company had recently completed the acquisition of the Germany-based Containerships and the vessel was the first of four LNG feeders ordered for the European service.