Several commuters in Hamburg, Germany got to experience what it was like to be an extra in James Cameron’s Titanic on Thursday. Windstorms sweeping across Europe have caused travel disruptions, provoking emotions from mild inconvenience to abject panic. Windstorm Ylenia (or Dudley in the United Kingdom) has canceled many commercial flights and train services across the storm-affected portions of Northern Germany. In Hamburg, Ylenia brought high winds as well as a storm surge that has been measured as high as 6.5 feet.
This incident took place on a HADAG ferry traveling from the Teufelsbrück ferry terminal to the ferry pier of the Airbus factory on the opposite bank of the River Elbe. Despite the trip being relatively short, a passenger recorded the moment that has to be seen to be believed. The video appears to show the ferry cresting a wave. As the view out of the windows shifts from cloudy skies to the River Elbe’s stormy waters, a wave shatters the windows at the front of the cabin.
You can hear two crashes in quick succession. The first boom is the heavy mass of water hitting the windows, and the second sound is the shattering glass. The wall of water catches everyone off-guard as no one would ever expect the windows to give way. The poor souls sitting in front of the passenger area were completely doused in cold river water and broken glass. As the water washed across the floor, everyone quickly gathered their belongings and made their way to the back of the cabin.
The local police reported that three people were injured in the incident, but the injured were able to walk off the ferry under their own power. The worst of the wounded was a 32-year-old man who suffered cuts, probably caused by the shards of the window panes. Thankfully, everyone got to go home.
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