Sailing charter crashes into freighter off Harlingen coast; Five school kids hurt
Five children sustained minor injuries when a sailing charter collided with a freighter off the coast of Harlingen on Sunday evening. The Dutch sea rescue service KNRM took the injured kids to Harlingen, where paramedics checked their injuries.
“A few were shocked, and some have bumps on their heads,” a Coast Guard spokesperson told NOS. According to NU.nl, there were 25 German school children, five grown-ups, and a dog aboard the chartered sailing ship. The sailing ship involved is the Storebaelt, a traditional ship built in 1928 that can be chartered for trips in the IJsselmeer or the Wadden Sea.
The KNRM responded to the collision near the Pollendam, northwest of Harlingen, at around 9:30 p.m. After taking the injured children to shore, the Noordgat shipping company and the KNRM towed the sailing charter back to the port of Harlingen. The freighter also returned to port. Both ships sustained damage.
The cause of the collision is not yet clear. Harlingen is located on the Friesland coast. A code yellow weather warning is in effect for the area on Monday due to strong winds.
