Diving bell boat: Walking down to the Rhine’s riverbed

The diving bell boat “Carl Straat“ patrols the stretch between Alsace and the Netherlands. Captain Thomas Bach keeps the riverbed clean. His ship features a steel diving bell that can be lowered, using overpressure to displace the water at the bottom of the Rhine. He can then stay dry while working below the water; retrieving lost anchors, for example. For the crew, it is a seven-meter descent via the shaft pipe to the bottom of the Rhine. There they have to work in very harsh conditions, from compressed air to extreme heat in summer and cold in winter. Excerpt from the documentary series “The Rhine From Above“. Click here to watch all episodes: © 2014, Licensed by vidicom