Owner Rescues Camper That Sank Through Nature Boardwalk, Beating Official Recovery Team to It 😱

Earlier this week, there was doubt whether it would get done before the weekend. But to nearly everyone's surprise, the camper that sank through the boardwalk at Grolloerveen nature reserve has been removed - by the owner himself.

Spokesperson Hans Alting from Staatsbosbeheer (the Dutch forestry service) was himself somewhat surprised when he heard this morning that the camper had been taken out of the nature area. Henry de Jonge of salvage company De Jonge Hoogeveen, which had been hired for the job, confirmed it: the owner did it himself. The company received word from the owner that he had pulled the camper out the previous evening.

De Jonge admitted he was surprised. They believed the salvage job was theirs to do, but were still waiting for the insurer to give the owner the green light. The inventory had been completed on Friday evening and the recovery plan was ready. Now the job is cancelled.

According to the salvage company, the owner started working at the boardwalk yesterday morning with his son. They repaired the damaged sections with timber and pulled the vehicle out from the collapsed bridge, taking considerable risks in the process. Staatsbosbeheer confirmed that the removal happened in good consultation with the nature organization.

The recovery went relatively smoothly. The owner filled the gaps, jacked up the camper, and used track plates to reverse it out. The camper is now back with its owner 😊.

The camper had been stuck on the broken boardwalk since last Thursday evening, when campers took a wrong turn and drove onto the wooden path. The planks gave way and the vehicle crashed through. Recovery was complicated by the nature area's vulnerability, as Staatsbosbeheer wanted to avoid heavy machinery and even ruled out an army helicopter due to nesting birds.

The damage to the boardwalk appeared significant at first, but the foundation has been checked and found to be sound. With luck, the repaired boardwalk could reopen later this summer. Insurance will handle the rest.