Classification
- Incident Type: Near capsize
- Severity: High
- Evidence: Video and maritime reporting document the event; the exact occurrence date and damage outcome remain unresolved.
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Vlug |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | Netherlands [NL] |
| IMO Number | |
| MMSI | 244700823 |
| Call Sign | PI2226 |
| ENI Number | 2203318 |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | 14 |
| Breadth (m) | 4 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1934 |
| Crew Size | |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 2015-10-11 |
| Location | Ems |
| Coordinates | 52.4268, 7.3395 |
| Region | North Sea |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- Video footage shows Vlug being forced under and flooded while Norwegian Escape passed on the Ems.
- The tug recovered its upright position after the cruise ship moved away, according to maritime reporting.
- Marine Insight reported that no one was hurt.
- The video was published on 2015-10-11, but Norwegian Cruise Line places Norwegian Escape's approximately 24-hour Ems conveyance on 2015-09-18 to 2015-09-19. The exact date of the Vlug occurrence is unresolved.
Narrative
The public record is based on video footage and subsequent maritime reporting rather than an incident-specific investigation report. The footage shows the small Netherlands-flagged inland tug Vlug alongside or moored on the Ems while the newly built cruise ship Norwegian Escape moved stern-first during its conveyance from Papenburg toward the North Sea. As Norwegian Escape passed, Vlug was pushed down, took water over the deck, and heeled sharply. The tug righted itself after the cruise ship moved away. Marine Insight reported that nobody was hurt.
The date requires caution. The YouTube page carrying the footage was published on 11 October 2015, which is the date retained in the incident record. Norwegian Cruise Line's official release states that Norwegian Escape's approximately 24-hour Ems conveyance ran from 18 September to its arrival in Eemshaven on 19 September. The reviewed sources do not establish whether the footage was uploaded later than the occurrence or whether the incident record's date is incorrect. No official investigation, pollution report, damage assessment, or financial loss estimate was identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 2015-09-18 to 2015-09-19 | Norwegian Escape completed its approximately 24-hour conveyance along the Ems, sailing stern-first through narrow passages. |
| 2015 | During the conveyance, video footage shows passing-ship forces pushing Vlug under and flooding the tug; the exact occurrence date is not established. |
| 2015-10-11 | The public video page carrying the footage was published. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Passing-ship hydrodynamic forces | Reported | Marine Insight attributed the tug's submergence to strong forces from Norwegian Escape's propeller. No official finding was located. |
Investigation
No incident-specific official investigation report was identified. The available evidence consists of the public video, maritime reporting, vessel-register entries, and Norwegian Cruise Line's official account of the cruise ship's Ems conveyance. The exact occurrence date, mechanism, damage, and any pollution remain unresolved.
References
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