Salvage Teams Lift Sunken Vessel SOLA GRATIA From River Scheldt After Collision With Mooring Posts

Herbosch-Kiere N.V. and Multraship Salvage B.V. have lifted the inland vessel SOLA GRATIA from the River Scheldt on Sunday, 3 May, after it sank in mid-April near Antwerp.

The lifting started at around 13:00 and continued for several hours. The vessel was lying at a depth of about 15 metres at low tide.

Strong currents and changing water levels in the Scheldt meant the teams had a limited time window to complete the operation.

The 86-metre vessel sank during the night of 17 to 18 April after hitting mooring posts near the Royers Lock in Antwerp.

It was carrying around 1,600 tonnes of sand at the time. The crew was rescued safely after the accident.

Multraship and Herbosch-Kiere were jointly hired to carry out the salvage work.

The operation involved two floating sheerlegs, crane barges, tugboats, support equipment, and specialised divers.

Work was carried out carefully, with focus on safety and the environment.

Before the lifting, teams spent several days preparing the vessel. On Monday and Tuesday, the sand cargo was removed to make the vessel more stable.

After that, divers installed heavy lifting slings and steel wires around the hull.

These were placed at three points so the weight could be spread evenly and reduce the chance of the vessel breaking during the lift.

Leendert Muller, CEO of Multraship Salvage, said the job required a large and experienced team.

He explained that installing the slings is precise and risky work, and the lifting also needs to be done in a controlled way to keep the vessel balanced.

The actual lifting was carried out slowly using cranes and sheerlegs, with tugboats assisting.

The timing was planned around low tide to make the operation possible within the available window.

Benny De Sutter, CEO of Herbosch-Kiere, said the work was done in close cooperation between both companies and their partners, with attention to safety and environmental protection at every step.

After the vessel was lifted, teams started trying to remove the water inside it so it can float again.

Early checks show that the hull has serious damage, which may make this process take longer. For now, the vessel will remain supported in the lifting slings.

The final destination of the vessel has not yet been decided.

Earlier, authorities had approved the removal of the sand cargo, and divers had already fixed lifting straps around the vessel.

The operation was carried out even though the weather conditions were not ideal. Tugboats also helped during the recovery.

The vessel had sunk after the collision in mid-April, and emergency service divers had rescued two people from the water at that time.

Reference: herbosch-kiere