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Dredger managed to free grounded river cruise ship after four days
On Aug 1 the 'Viking Ullur' was freed and berthed in the port of Vidin. The suction hopper dredger 'Rapide Dredger 3' (MMSI 205301290) of the Rapide Shipping from Werkendam had started dredging the river at the grounding site, followed by a successful turning manoever on the early afternoon, after which the river cruise ship could proceed to the port, where it remained stationary as of Aug 4. The Rapide Shipping has been performing maintenance dredging work on the Danube for the Bulgarian government for 12 years. The 'Viking Ullur' had run aground on a sandbank just off Vidin, where the supplies were to be replenished, on the night of Aug 27. Initially, a refloating attempt was made by the river cruise ship 'Vivaldi' (MMSI: 227023430) of Croisi Europe, but it could not get close enough to the 'Viking Ullur'. Subsequently, the evacuation of the 186 passengers.was carried out by the police boat of the Bulgarian border police. The passengers were taken by bus to Bucharest, where Viking accommodated them in various hotels. By then, it had become clear that getting the 'Viking Ullur' off the sandbank was not a simple matter of simply towing it free. Consequently, the assistance of Rapide Shipping was called upon. After the successful salvage, the 'Rapide Dredger 3' returned to its regular work in Caragheorge. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2026/08/03/rapide-dredger-3-baggert-en-tornt-riviercruiseschip-viking-ullur-vlot-los/
Dredger deployed to grounded river cruise ship
The Rapide Transport & Logistics SRL—the Romanian arm of the Rapide Shipping, based in Werkendam, was en route to the 'Viking Ullur' in with the trailing suction hopper dredger 'Rapide Dredger 3'. Dredging operations were scheduled to begin on August 1, followed by efforts to maneuver the vessel free.
River cruise ship evacuated after grounding near Vidin
The 'Viking Ullur' enroute from Drobeta-Turnu Severin to Vidin, ran aground on July 28, 2026, at 2:20 a.m. due to low water levels on the Danube at river kilometre 817 with 186 passengers and 52 crew member on board, about 25 kilometers upstream from Vidin in northwestern Bulgaria. The incident was caused by poor visibility and the low water level of the river. The ship was scheduled to make a refueling stop in the port of Vidin and also had very little drinking water left on board. Another vessel was deployed to pick up the passengers. However, it was unable to get close enough to the stranded ship. The passengers, wearing life jackets, were assisted by rescue workers as they were evacuated by a boat of the Vidin Border Police Vessels Base. The passengers’ luggage was still being transferred. The fate of the 52 crew members remained unclear, as the 'Viking Ullur' could stay stranded for an extended period depending on navigation conditions and refloating options. Photos and video: https://www.bta.bg/en/news/balkans/1175132-all-186-passengers-evacuated-from-cruise-ship-stranded-on-danube-near-vidin https://www.portalmorski.pl/bezpieczenstwo/61364-ewakuacja-186-pasazerow-statku-wycieczkowego-na-dunaju https://www.heute.at/s/drama-auf-donau-kreuzfahrtschiff-muss-evakuiert-werden-120230100? https://www.actualmehedinti.ro/focus/pasagerii-si-echipajul-navei-viking-ullur-sunt-transferati-catre-portul-vidin-de-nava-vivaldi/utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1785262569 https://x.com/VLSorrellImages/status/2082162495133827472
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