AJAX

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Crane ship salvaged grounded pleasure boat stuck two weeks on groyne near Rüdesheim

On the early afternoon Aug 28, 2025, the 'Ajax' lifted a 13-m-pleasure boat with the hull number 125226-A from a groyne, where it had been stuck on the Rhine near Rüdesheim (Rheingau-Taunus) at river km 524 since Aug 10 at around 10 a.m. The salvage operation took about three and a half hours. To raise the boat, wires had to be pulled under the damaged vessel. The Bingen Waterways and Shipping Authority deployed the crane ship, several small boats, 15 salvage workers and a diver. After the salvage, which had started at around 11 a.m. and was concluded at 1.45 p.m.,the boat was transported to the port of Bingen, where, it was to be inspected for leaks and seaworthiness. The two skippers from the Berlin area had lacked sufficient local knowledge and were too careless due to the high water levels at the time of the grounding, according to the investigations of the police. The men initially had planned to stay on their damaged boat, but then changed their minds. The German Lifesaving Association (DLRG) finally brought them to shore in an inflatable boat. The cost of the salvage operation were more than 10,000 Euros and will now be billed to the owners. On Aug 28 it was revealed that the two men had already attracted attention before the boat ran aground, as they may have been under the influence of alcohol,, according to the Karlsruhe water police, and had attracted negative attention at other locations on the Rhine. Reports with photos and video: https://www.hessenschau.de/panorama/ruedesheim-gestrandetes-boot-geborgen--bootsfuehrer-sollen-kosten-tragen-v8,ruedesheim-boot-bergung-102.html https://www.fr.de/hessen/werden-attraktion-auf-dem-rhein-in-ruedesheim-gestrandete-jacht-soll-geborgen-zr-93904149.html https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/beitrag/2025/08/berlin-rhein-gestrandet-boot-schwimmkran-bergung-ruedesheim.html https://www.wiesbadener-kurier.de/lokales/kreis-rheingau-taunus/ruedesheim-kreis-rheingau-taunus/liveticker-so-laeuft-die-bergung-des-gestrandeten-sportboots-auf-dem-rhein-4918827