Police recover body in search for missing workers after boat sinks in Amsterdam port

On Monday afternoon, police recovered a body from the water in the Westelijk Havengebied during the search for two people who went missing after their boat sank following a collision with a large vessel. The discovery was made around 4:45 p.m. by a diver from the police arrest unit, AT5 reported. Authorities are now working to determine the cause of death and the identity of the body to confirm whether it is one of the two missing workers.

Earlier in the afternoon, police had located the sunken boat, which had gone underwater after the collision at around 6:20 p.m. Sunday. The two missing individuals, who are employees of De Koperen Ploeg—a company that provides harbor services including mooring, unmooring, and moving ships—were not in the boat when it was found.

Authorities said lifting the wreck remains a challenge, as it must be done carefully to preserve potential forensic evidence. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

Emergency services launched a large-scale search and rescue operation shortly after the crash. Divers and sonar teams were initially deployed but withdrawn several hours later “due to the passing of the golden hour,” the critical first hour after serious trauma when medical assistance offers the best chance of survival. The search continued using moored boats and drones until about 10 p.m. Sunday but did not locate the missing workers.

The National Underwater Search Team is leading the investigation, supported by divers from the police arrest unit.