Failing pontoon bridge lands strollers in cold water

Some 20 walking enthusiasts ended up with a wet suit, Sunday afternoon, when the pontoon bridge they were crossing at Den Nul in Overijssel, collapsed for unknown reasons.The group was participating in a nature walk, led by a guide from the nature and environmental association, IVN. The nature walk went through the Duursche Waarden reserve, near Fortmond in the Olst-Wijhe municipality.

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When the group crossed the pontoon bridge of the Lange Kolk, it suddenly collapsed, landing a number of people in the cold water.

All of the strollers managed to get ashore on their own and nobody was hurt, but they were very cold, reported a spokesperson for the safety region IJsselland. To be on the safe side two diving teams searched the water around the bridge to make sure everybody made it out, and a trauma helicopter was dispatched.

The accident may have been caused by too many people walking on the same side of the bridge at the same time, according to the spokesperson for the safety region, but the Information Center IJssel, who organized the walk, thinks it went wrong because of the waves the strollers caused by crossing the 60 meter wide span. 'The moment they walked in cadence, the bridge collapsed.'