The salvage work to bring to the surface the Dutch barge that sank last week on the River Scheldt at Grembergen near Dendermonde (East Flanders) is proving to be more difficult than expected. The ship is at a bend in the river and is banked on the riverbed. The vessel still needs to be put up right before it can be salvaged and this is no easy task.
A Dutch salvage company has pulled two metal cables under the barge to bring it upright. This is a difficult task the salvage company tis using two crane ships in its efforts to right the vessel. Shipping on the River Scheldt is suspended while the salvaging work is being carried out. Another factor that is making the salvage work more difficult is that at Grembergen the River Scheldt is already tidal.
Once the barge has been put upright and can be lifted out of the water work will commence of recovering its cargo. Due to the current in the river, a large portion of the cargo that consists of building materials, fell out of the barge and into the river when it sank.
The captain of the barge, who was the only person on board when it sank, has not been found. His two dogs that were with him on the barge are also still missing. Today (Wednesday 16 August) officers from the Federal Police Missing Persons Unit are at the location where the barge sank.
The bargeman is a Belgian from Charleroi (Hainaut). Work to salvage the barge and lift it from the river is expected to go on until Friday.