Two killed, child missing in passenger ship crash near Terschelling

Two people were confirmed dead after a collision between a rapid ferry and a water taxi on the Wadden Sea near Terschelling, said the Friesland regional security office. The accident happened at about 8 a.m., and as of 9:15 a.m., rescuers were still searching for a missing 12-year-old boy who went overboard. Another person may also be missing.

It is not yet clear if the two people who died are the same two people who were revived at the scene and transported to an area hospital in critical condition. Several others suffered injuries, and many people were rescued from the water, at least one of whom had been in the water for a long time.

The accident happened in the Schuitengat, a channel in the Wadden Sea. The boats involved are Rederij Doeksen’s ferry MS Tiger and the Stormloper water taxi. Several people on the water taxi ended up in the water.

“There were probably seven people on the Stormloper, out of whom one person is still missing,” the security office said. That person is the 12-year-old reported overboard earlier during the emergency response.

The current is very strong, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard told NOS. Someone in the water can quickly drift out to sea. As a result, the search area has been expanded.

The water taxi sank after the collision. The people who were on board the Strormloper were taken to Terschelling.

The Tiger was taking on water but managed to make its way to the port in Harlingen, where a reception center was set up for those on board. According to the security office, the ferry was carrying 21 passengers and six crew members, none of whom sustained serious injuries.

The cause of the accident is unclear. The Dutch Safety Board and the police will investigate.