As I understand it from DBA member Robert Davies, owner of "Merwede," they had just set left their mooring in Veurne to go to dock at Sluiskil for ES-TRIN renewal etc.. Upon receiving a green light for the railway lift bridge in Veurne they were making their final approach when Robert realised that the bridge was actually closing again. Despite frantic attempts to stop the ship the bridge came down on the fore cabin of Merwede. The bridge came to rest a couple of centimetres short of its closed position with Merwede's bow depressed in the water by about 300mm.
Seemingly because the bridge had not fully closed (probably due to the buoyancy of Merwede's bow) and thus had not completed its operating cycle it could not be immediately reopened again. It was finally reopened to free Merwede at about 17.00 but it is not known when it reopened to rail traffic.
Very luckily there were no injuries, and as Robert said to me last night, if the bridge had to come down on the barge anywhere it chose the right place to do it, just between the bow cabin companionway and the car, where there were the least structures to damage. So far as could be assessed last night the damage seems relatively limited to the mast, a skylight and minor damage to the roof of the car (from the mast), but the situation will be further assessed today.
The incident will be a matter for further investigation but it is understood that the rail operating company has admitted liability.
Balliol.
