Canadian Tourist Recounts Aftermath of Boat Collision on the Danube

Ken Hoffer, of Halifax, poses on the Liberty Bridge above the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30, 2019. A Canadian tourist who was on the Danube River in Budapest when two boats collided on May 29 says the experience was "surreal and "sobering". Ken Hoffer, of Halifax, says he was on a cruise boat about two bridges down from where the crash occurred, when he saw a man in a life ring float by in the chilly and fast moving water. HO - Ken Hoffer/The Canadian Press

HALIFAX—A Canadian tourist who was on the Danube River in Budapest when two boats tragically collided Wednesday says the experience was “surreal” and “sobering.”

Ken Hoffer, a retired navy captain, was nearing the end of a 10-day cruise along the river that cuts through central and eastern Europe when he encountered an “astounding” scene through the heavy rain.