Z floated away in the river – but was towed back – Expressen

An island off Gästrikeleden Hammarby swiftly on Thursday afternoon – and floated on a river.

The Multi-ton island managed to be towed away by the emergency services.

Emergency services say the island is a vassrugg, type Gefle Dagblad which was first to report about the incident. It is about 25 meters long and five meters wide – and flows toward a river that runs through the village Gästrikeleden Hammarby.

The witness Wencke Johansen Persson appreciate the island’s size to 200 square meters.

– Apparently is the largest vegetation, small trees, so there is certainly some birch or aspen on it. Otherwise, the most sharp. But it is possible to walk on it, says Pär Tornhult, internal command at Gästrikeleden emergency services.

Never seen anything like it

He has never been anything like it.

the reeds came off and was floating on Thursday afternoon. It has previously been in the lake, which empties into a river. On Thursday afternoon, stuck it in the mouth of the river near the Gästrikeleden Hammarby in Sandviken Municipality.

– We have been concerned about a bridge that is in the river and for the power station further down. We try to tow away the island but if we do not manage it, it may remain in the river mouth. Then an excavator take care of it tomorrow, says Pär Tornhult.

“Be a little dramatic”

Wencke Johansen Persson saw the island at 16:30 pm and alerted when emergency services.

– Then had a guy trying to get out of the boat but it was in the way. He had to push past on the side, so it was a bit dramatic, she says.

She lives nearby and works at the mansion, which the bridge belongs. There is a wooden bridge and under Wencke Johansen Persson villagers are worried about whether to keep.

– We have sluices also and put it fixed itself where we’ll have flooding here in the village.

trying to tow away the island

During the evening, state emergency services to a towing island went well.

– We are trying to push it to a bay nearby. There we will anchor it with the anchor and rope, then the municipality together with the authorities must be contacted to take over.

According Wencke Johansen Persson helped villagers to attempt to tow the island.

– Rescue Service has connected on a rope in the big fire truck as the winches and so the villagers and pushes on the island with their boats, but the question is where to get it somewhere, and how to take advantage of it, says Wencke Johansen Persson.

the rescue services believe that the island weighs several tons. It is unclear why it has come off.

– It might never have grown firm. It was somewhere in the lake in the past but is not retained. I do not know if it has been raining off and flown away, says Pär Tornhult.