The Flemish Roman Catholic priest, who ended up in an Antwerp canal after performing midnight mass on Christmas Eve, is in fine spirits and has already spoken with VRT Radio 2. “At no point was I afraid. I did not panic!” The priest was rushed to hospital in Geel after his ordeal, but within the day he had been discharged and was fit enough to conduct Christmas mass.
Priest Louis Verbeeck had quite a fright when he was travelling home in his car after conducting midnight mass at his church. By accident he ended up in the waters of the Bocholt-Herentals canal, not a place you would like to be at the best of times. “I don’t know how this could have happened” the relieved parish priest told Flemish radio. “I am familiar with the route, but it was incredibly dark. I thought I was on the road and wanted to turn off, but then I ended up in the canal”.
“At no point did I panic. I stayed calm. The electric button operating the window still worked, so I crawled through the window and managed to get onto the roof of my vehicle. There were passers-by and they rushed to my aid. They pulled me to the bank and called the police, a tow away truck and the ambulance”.
The priest was rushed to hospital in Geel (Antwerp Province) suffering the symptoms of slight hypothermia, but within the day he had been discharged and was fit enough to conduct Christmas mass.
“I was worried about the 11 o’clock mass but managed to get there on time. People were a little surprised to see me”.