Jeroen Wouda and Dirk Boom meticulously probe the bone-dry surface of a Dutch dike with metal rods, scanning parched grass for any green patches that might betray a leak.
The scene evokes the legendary Dutch boy who heroically plugged a dike with his finger, but these modern patrols are hunting for cracks in the low-lying Netherlands’ famed water defences, caused by a severe drought gripping Europe.
