After seven hours of desperate efforts, teams from several authorities prevented the sinking of Táltos, a Hungarian Danube boat in Budapest. The incident was caused by extreme draught and the River Danube’s exceptionally low water level.

According to Tények, TV2’s news programme, Táltos, one of the passenger boats regularly operating on the River Danube despite the extreme low water levels, almost sank near Budapest’s Elizabeth Bridge. As soon as the crew learned how serious the problem was from the Danube River Police Department, they began evacuating all passengers, which they completed swiftly and successfully.

Members of several authorities then arrived at the scene on Thursday evening to help keep the vessel afloat. At times, many feared the boat was beyond saving.

Officers from the Danube River Police Department, the Municipal Directorate for Disaster Management, and the Pest County Search and Rescue Service worked for more than seven hours to secure the boat.

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According to László Balázs, head of the Pest County Search and Rescue Service, the boat’s hull suffered multiple severe damages. The biggest hole in the hull was initially inaccessible, leaving the inflow of water seemingly unstoppable. Eventually, divers were able to repair it too.

Mr Balázs said the boat probably ran aground because of the River Danube’s extremely low water level and sustained further damage from rocks in the Danube bend.

Thankfully, no members of the crew or passengers were injured, and the rescue effort ended successfully.

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