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School Children Injured as Historic Sailing Ship and Dredger Collide

Storebaelt sailing ship
Historic sailing vessel was involved in a collision with a dredger off the Dutch coast (Storebaelt on Facebook)

Published Sep 15, 2025 1:31 PM by The Maritime Executive


The Dutch rescue service is reporting minor injuries among a group of school children who were on a class trip aboard a historic sailing ship. The vessel Storebaelt, which operates charter trips, was off the Netherlands coast on Sunday evening, September 14, when it and a dredger collided.

According to KNRM, the sailing vessel had 25 school-age children aboard along with five adults. They received a report of the collision at 2030 local time, and two rescue boats reached the vessels in 10 minutes. Five of the children were removed from the sailing ship and transferred to the shore of one of the rescue boats. Waiting ambulances and volunteers attended to the children.

“A few were shocked, and some have bumps on their heads,” a Coast Guard spokesperson said on Dutch broadcaster NOS. The remaining children remained aboard the 65-meter (213-foot) sailing vessel while it was towed to shore. They were transferred to a local hotel at 0100 on Monday morning.

The Coast Guard noted that there was bad weather, rain, and strong winds in the area, which could have been factors in the collision. It was also dark when the collision occurred.

 

 

Built in 1928, the Storeaelt has 420 square meters of sail and began its life as the motorized coastal vessel Drittura. According to the operator’s online profile, during World War II, the vessel transported goods and troops for the Allies and participated in Operation Neptune on D-Day in 1944. It was renovated in 1994 into a luxurious sailing ship with 13 cabins, and overnight it has accommodations for 32 people or 50 people on day trips.

The vessel was involved in a head-on collision with the dredger Prins 3, which is registered in Panama. The bow spirit of the sailing ship was broken off, and the bow and side showed damage. The dredger also sustained dents and scrapes, but none of the three crew aboard were injured. The dredger returned to Harlingen under its own power.

The police are investigating the incident.