Two RIB’s collide, 18 wounded

[westhinder]

Tonight two RIB’s collided on the river Schelde in Antwerp. 18 people were thrown into the water. They were picked up by a ferry who happened to be nearby and a couple of other boats. 3 people suffered serious injuries, 15 others were hypothermic.
The two RIB’s were carrying people from a Dutch company on an incentive. Amateur pictures show the two boats passing eachother at close quarters in oppositie directions at high speed, then turning to repeat the process, but colliding nearly head on.
Pictures here: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2019/0...n-op-de-schelde-in-antwerpen-verschillende-m/

Fortunately there are no fatalities, and they were quickly plucked out of the water. It could easily have been much worse.

 

[Dan Tribe]

They were lucky not to have more serious injuries or even deaths. Heck of a bang.

 

[Keith 66]

Playing chicken with two ribs full of passengers? what ever possessed the operators to think that was a good idea. Lucky nobody got killed.

 

[scottie]

Not the first time either
A similar thing happened at sea near the Bass rock in the Forth Estuary last year I believe

 

[Seajet]

There does seem to be something about RIB's which attracts the sort of cowboys who'd have been prats in speedboats up to the 70's; the false feeling of invincibility ' it's like the lifeboats use ' must be relevant too.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Playing chicken with two ribs full of passengers? what ever possessed the operators to think that was a good idea. Lucky nobody got killed.

Shades of the Cardiff Bay Yacht Club accident: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c6fa4e5274a429000003f/CBYC_RIB_Report.pdf

 

[RichardS]

Shades of the Cardiff Bay Yacht Club accident: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/547c6fa4e5274a429000003f/CBYC_RIB_Report.pdf

ColRegs should have been their friend, even this far from the sea. :ambivalence:

Richard

 

[Seajet]

There was a nasty, fatal accident involving a RIB colliding with a large mobo ( ISTR the RIB was buzzing a friend ) in Southampton Water a couple of years ago.

Of course most are handled sensibly, seamanship and courtesy among all mobo's is infinitely better than when I started sailing in the early 70's, it's just when nasty accidents happen they do stand out, which must be very irritating for the decent majority.

 

[Uricanejack]

Jumping each other’s wake?

 

[Seajet]

Well the ' opposition pair ' doesn't always work out for the Red Arrows, so one wouldn't fancy the chances of a couple of muppets in RIB's - doing it with fare paying passengers aboard is truly diabolical.

 

[westhinder]

Jumping each other’s wake?

I think that was the idea.
It was a team building day, part business, part fun, followed by dinner in Antwerp. This was meant to be the fun part, some excitement.
I have seen similar antics by a couple of powerful RIB’s in London on the Thames between Tower Bridge and Greenwich, jumping on waves and passengers screaming.

 

[rotrax]

I think that was the idea.
It was a team building day, part business, part fun, followed by dinner in Antwerp. This was meant to be the fun part, some excitement.
I have seen similar antics by a couple of powerful RIB’s in London on the Thames between Tower Bridge and Greenwich, jumping on waves and passengers screaming.

Which is all good fun untill it goes tits up..................................