Woman Dies After Car Plunges into IJzer River at Bridge in Nieuwpoort
A 20-year-old woman from Blankenberge has died after her car plunged into the IJzer river at the Uniebrug bridge in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. The incident occurred on Friday night shortly before midnight, and despite a large-scale rescue operation, emergency services could not save her, according to VRT NWS.
The Incident
The accident happened at the Uniebrug, which lies on the border between Sint-Joris, a sub-municipality of Nieuwpoort, and Mannekensvere, a sub-municipality of Middelkerke. The woman was alone in the car when it entered the water.
Passing motorists spotted the car floating in the IJzer and immediately alerted emergency services. Het Nieuws van West-Vlaanderen reported that “all emergency services were immediately mobilized and for the divers it was a difficult task to search in the darkness for the occupant(s).”
Multiple dive teams from various fire stations responded to the scene, along with an ambulance and patrols from the Westkust and Middelkerke police zones. After extensive searching in the dark water, divers located the woman in the wreck and freed her from the heavily damaged vehicle. However, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Heavily Damaged Vehicle
During the recovery operation, the full extent of the damage became clear. As Lokaal Nieuws reported, “the car came out of the water severely deformed and hung in lifting straps above the bank. The image shows the enormous force with which the accident must have happened.”
The Uniebrug remained closed to traffic for almost the entire night, partly to recover the wreck. Because the accident occurred on the Sint-Joris side of the bridge, the Westkust police zone is leading the investigation, and a traffic expert has been appointed to examine the circumstances of the crash.
A Bridge with History
The Uniebrug is one of three bridges over the IJzer between the cities of Nieuwpoort and Diksmuide, according to Wikipedia. The Brugsesteenweg (N367) runs over the bridge, which sits approximately three kilometers upstream from Nieuwpoort. During World War I, fierce fighting took place at these bridges during the Battle of the IJzer, and the Uniebrug was destroyed by an explosion on October 19, 1914.
Previous Incident Raises Safety Questions
This is the second serious incident at the Uniebrug within approximately 14 months. In June 2025, a man in his forties from Torhout drove through the bridge railing and plunged five meters into the water with his Ford Mondeo, as KW.be reported. He was fortunate to escape through the windows.
The repeated incidents raise questions about the safety of the bridge, particularly regarding the adequacy of its guardrails and approach road design. Local authorities have not yet commented on whether safety improvements will be considered.
A Tragedy Spanning Three Communities
The accident brings together three coastal municipalities in a particularly tragic story: Nieuwpoort, where the accident occurred; Middelkerke, on the other side of the bridge; and Blankenberge, the victim’s hometown. As Lokaal Nieuws noted, “At the Uniebrug, the emergency services lost the fight to save a young life.”
Investigation Ongoing
The exact circumstances of the accident remain unclear. The severely deformed state of the car suggests significant force was involved in the crash. A traffic expert has been appointed to investigate, and the Westkust police zone is leading the inquiry. Authorities have not yet released the victim’s name, and questions remain about what caused the car to leave the road and enter the river.
As the investigation continues, the tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the dangers that can exist at even familiar roadways. For the family and friends of the young woman from Blankenberge, and for the communities along the IJzer, the loss will be felt for a long time to come.