On the afternoon of Sunday 27 April 2025, an unusual incident occurred on the Ems-Jade Canal in Wilhelmshaven. A pleasure boat carrying a family of three collided with an obstacle while travelling, which turned out to be a sunken car. The accident occurred in the section of the canal between Hessenser Weg and Ebkeriege.
The crew of the pleasure craft immediately alerted the Wilhelmshaven fire brigade, which travelled to the scene at around 4 pm. To ensure that there were no more people in the sunken vehicle, the fire brigade immediately sent rescue swimmers into the water. After a thorough examination of the wrecked car, they were unable to find anyone inside.
Recovery of the sunken vehicle
After securing the scene of the accident, the police commissioned a towing company to recover the car from the canal. The fire brigade's lifeguards assisted the tow truck in its work to ensure a safe and efficient recovery. At the same time, the emergency services checked the family's pleasure boat for possible damage below the waterline that could have been caused by the collision.
No contamination of the water by fuel leaking from the sunken car was detected. The entire rescue and recovery operation was completed after around one and a half hours. The police have started an investigation to clarify the origin of the sunken vehicle. Important questions about how long the car had been in the canal and how it got there are still unanswered.
