Volunteer divers fined while recovering cyclist’s belongings from canal
Two volunteer divers were fined by a municipal enforcement officer while preparing to recover personal belongings from a canal for a cyclist who had fallen into the water, RTL reported.
On Sunday, a cyclist named Sjoerd accidentally rode into the Vliet canal in Leidschendam while biking with his girlfriend Anne. Although he made it safely back to shore, his phone and keys remained underwater. Anne contacted Recovery Divers, a volunteer group that retrieves lost items from water bodies across the Netherlands.
Jochem, a diver affiliated with the group since 1996, responded to the call. “They shared their location with us, and we drove there,” he told RTL. “We saw a bike path with a sign that read ‘Bestemmingsverkeer tot nummer 61 toegestaan’ [Local traffic to number 61 allowed]. Since we needed to be there, we assumed we counted as local traffic and parked the car off to the side so everyone could still pass.”
As Jochem and his colleague prepared to enter the water in full gear—together weighing nearly 100 kilograms—they were approached by a municipal enforcement officer, known as a boa. “My colleague said, ‘Look behind you, there's a boa.’ And then we got the ticket,” Jochem told the newspaper.
According to Jochem, the officer told them that parking on the bike path was not permitted, but the diver disagreed with the interpretation. “If the sign had said ‘No cars except number 61,’ it would’ve been clear. But it didn’t. We thought we were allowed,” he told RTL. He added that the officer did not specify the fine amount and issued no written notice at the time.
“I didn’t feel like arguing with 60 kilos of diving gear on my back,” said Jochem. “But I immediately said I would contest the ticket. Two lawyers have already offered to help.”
Despite the citation, the divers entered the canal and retrieved the belongings. “Underwater, we can still talk to each other. And even then, we were still discussing what had just happened,” Jochem told RTL. “Why immediately a fine? In all these years, I’ve sometimes been parked incorrectly, but we’ve always been warned first. Why not this time?”
A spokesperson for Staatsbosbeheer, the Dutch forestry agency responsible for the area, defended the officer’s decision. “It’s up to the boa’s discretion whether to issue a warning or a fine,” the spokesperson said. “What these people are doing is very sympathetic, but there was no one in danger. It was about keys and a phone. Even then, normal traffic laws apply. Cars are not allowed on the bike path.”
The spokesperson said the divers had driven 300 to 400 meters on the bike path and passed two signs clearly stating that motor vehicles were not allowed. “On weekends, many recreational cyclists use that path, and you don’t want cars there. If someone needs access, they can always request a permit. Otherwise, next time someone with a heavy canoe will also want to unload there.”
Jochem called the permit suggestion unworkable. “We work nationally, but permits are issued per municipality,” he told RTL. “We never know in advance where our services will be needed. You can't leave a phone underwater for weeks while waiting for a permit. That’s just not feasible.”
Despite his frustration, Jochem said he will pay the fine himself if it stands. “If I get a speeding ticket on the way to a job, I pay it. So I’ll pay this one too,” he told RTL.
