Pictured: Plzeň (illustrative image)
Pictured: Plzeň (illustrative image)Photo: Txllxt TxllxT, 2011 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

During the night to 16 October 2026, the weed-cutting boat Bolek partially sank on the Velký Bolevecký rybník pond in Plzeň. The vessel is used to cut aquatic weeds on the city's largest recreational pond. The city acquired it in 2013, when the pond was suffering from an overgrowth of aquatic plants; the boat has a cutter bar and at the same time pulls the cut vegetation on board.[1][2]

Firefighters were dispatched to the site before 3:30 in the morning. According to Michal Holeček, spokesperson for the regional firefighters, oil products leaked onto the surface, and firefighters from the Plzeň-Košutka central station enclosed them with oil booms to prevent further spread. The vessel's weight is estimated at 15 to 20 tonnes, and suitable equipment will be needed to pull it ashore, according to Holeček. The cause of the sinking will be known only after the boat is recovered.[1][2]

Aleš Tolar (STAN) said that, according to the assurances he received, there is no threat of serious consequences for the environment. The incident took place at the shore, at the spot where the boat is moored overnight.[1][2]

Related articles: Plzeň

Chronology

  • — During the night to 16 October 2026, the weed-cutting boat Bolek partly sank on Velký bolevecký rybník in Plzeň; firefighters used booms to stop the spread of the leaked oil substances. Deník: Plzeňský kraj Plzeňská Drbna

Sources

  1. Deník: Plzeňský kraj — 16 October 2026
  2. Plzeňská Drbna — 16 October 2026