VLISSINGEN, Netherlands, July 19 (UPI) -- A 100-year old sailing ship sank in the English Channel three minutes after being rammed by a fishing boat, but all 21 people aboard the ship were saved.
The Mohawk II, a ship used by Norwegian Sea Scouts, was rammed by a Dutch fishing boat in the middle of the night, Aftenposten reported Monday.
Most of the scouts, aged 13-16 years, were able to get into lifeboats while others had to jump into the icy, 20-foot deep waters.
Witnesses said it almost appeared as if the trawler took aim at the sailing ship, heading straight for it at relatively high speed near the port of Vlissingen.
Dutch police were testing the captain and crew of the fishing vessel to determine whether they were under the influence of alcohol.
The century old vessel will be salvaged, officials said.
The scouts are all from Oslo and Lorenskog, a northern suburb, and were on their way from Ijmuiden to Calais. They were taken to Vlissingen, while the Norwegian embassy in The Hague joined efforts to look after them and eventually arrange transport home.
