NELSON

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Latest news

Salvage attempts failed

Several attempts to dislodge the barge 'Olimpia' just above Bingen failed on June 6. At around 6 p.m. it was decided to abandon the attempts and continue on June 7, possibly after lightering a part of the coal cargo. The tug 'Pilot' (MMSI: 211608100) made several attempts to turn the barge. The tandem vessel 'Millennium' of Adri-Eef Bosman also wanted to assist, but was told that its services would not be used. The small leakage was ‘controllable with the own pump, but it did not have sufficient capacity, and the generator did not run very regularly. During the 'Pilot's attempted turn, the Rhine was blocked for about two hours. After the blockage was lifted, the 'Millennium' continued its journey to Ludwigshaven.

Push convoy broke apart on the Rhine

On the morning of June 5, 2025, the push convoy 'Nelson-Olimpia', loaded with a total of 2,870 tons of coal suffered an accident at Rhine kilometer 523. During a routine inspection by the Mainz Water Police, the port-side coupling wire between the pushing barge 'Nelson' and the pushed barge 'Olimpia', 1725 ts (EU-No.: 38601780) ,broke. Subsequently, the convoy buckled, causing the starboard coupling wire to break. The separation resulted in a collision: The bow of the barge struck the starboard side of the .'Nelson' andd subsequently ran aground on gravel bottom outside the fairway, near the longitudinal fens of the Ilmenaue. After the incident, the pushing barge was able to moor safely at Geisenheim. At the time of the incident, there were no other vessels in the immediate vicinity, and the crew on board were not near the affected coupling elements. No one was injured. Based on an initial visual inspection, slight water ingress on ​​the 'Olimpia', could not be ruled out. The salvage was scheduled for June 6 at the earliest. The Mainz Water Police have begun investigating the cause of the accident. Report with photo: https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/117719/6050186