Catamaran collides with harbor wall in Konstanz, twelve injured amid record-low Lake Constance water levels

Collision in Konstanz harbor

On Friday morning, the catamaran "Constanze" collided with the harbor wall in Konstanz on Lake Constance while approaching the harbor. The vessel had departed Friedrichshafen at 8:00 AM and struck the wall around 8:45 AM, shortly before its scheduled arrival. The force of the impact injured at least twelve people on board. According to SWR information, some of the injured were seriously hurt and were taken to hospital. The Katamaran-Reederei Bodensee shipping company confirmed that some injured passengers were hospitalized but stated that no one was in life-threatening condition. The catamaran was damaged in the collision but remained stable on the water and did not sink. Lake Constance sits at the border between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and the catamaran line normally carries passengers hourly between Konstanz and Friedrichshafen.

Rescue operation

Emergency services including the DLRG (German Life Saving Association), the Konstanz fire department, police, and a rescue helicopter were deployed to the harbor, as reported by the Südkurier. The fire department in Konstanz released further details on Friday afternoon, reporting that DLRG rescue boats could not reach the damaged catamaran directly because of the low water level. Multipurpose boats from the fire department were called in to assist with rescuing the passengers from the vessel. Police confirmed that no operating fluids had leaked from the catamaran and that there was no danger to people or the environment. The harbor remained operational and other ship traffic in Konstanz was not affected by the incident. Police communicated their findings from Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg.

Investigation underway

The water police are investigating how the collision occurred. The Konstanz public prosecutor's office has commissioned an independent expert to reconstruct the events and produce a report. Investigators are also seeking witnesses who observed the accident. Both of the ship's captains were among the injured, according to the Katamaran-Reederei Bodensee. The catamaran service, which normally transports passengers hourly between Konstanz and Friedrichshafen across Lake Constance, was reduced to a single vessel operating on a two-hour cycle after the accident. The damaged "Constanze" remained in Konstanz harbor.

Christoph Witte, managing director of the Katamaran-Reederei Bodensee, addressed the incident.

We will do everything to find out the causes, but ask for some patience for now.

Record-low water levels on Lake Constance

The accident occurred amid extremely low water levels on Lake Constance. The LUBW (State Institute for the Environment Baden-Württemberg) in Karlsruhe reported on Friday that the Konstanz gauge measured 275 centimeters on Thursday, August 13. This was the lowest water level of the year and the lowest ever recorded for an August 13. The previous lowest reading for an August 13 was 300 centimeters, recorded in 2003. The low water levels directly complicated the rescue operation, as DLRG boats were unable to approach the catamaran directly and fire department multipurpose boats had to be used instead.