VIDEO: Six rescued after tourist boat collides with Rotterdam water taxi
Six people have been rescued, after a terrifying collision between a sightseeing boat and a water taxi in Rotterdam.
A video that captures the incident (seen below) shows the small taxi approaching the large sightseeing boat at a diagonal angle, underneath the Erasmus Bridge on the Nieuwe Mass River. The taxi, which was carrying four adults, one captain and a young child, is initially sent underwater by the collision, before reappearing on the surface and capsizing.
GRIP 1 Grote WO bij de Erasmusbrug in Rotterdam. Op de webcam bij de Erasmusbrug (https://t.co/Lqf042Ir3z) was de aanvaring live te zien. https://t.co/1rfZmpG5rI pic.twitter.com/b1CsFUUgUX
— Stefan Verkerk (@Stefanuzz) July 21, 2022
Several boats and other water taxis rushed to the scene shortly after the collision, as well as large numbers of emergency vehicles.
Heart-stopping footage of the incident shows one captain attaching a rope to the tail of the upturned boat, attempting to right it, as people in lifejackets fight their way out:
All passengers were pulled to safety and have reportedly been taken to hospital for observation.
Water taxi flipped in water. There is insane amount of fire trucks and police cars. #Rotterdam pic.twitter.com/jC7FAJQi5L
— Sarv (@sunsetlifesaarv) July 21, 2022
In a Tweet, local emergency services confirmed a major accident and noted that water traffic had temporarily been halted near the bridge.
