A narrow boat left stranded by a dramatic canal bank collapse in Shropshire just before Christmas has been successfully rescued and returned to the water.
Dramatic Collapse and Major Incident
The stern of the narrow boat Pacemaker was left hanging over a 50-metre-long sinkhole in Whitchurch after the canal embankment failed in the early hours of December 22. Owner Paul Stowe described being woken at around 4.05am to see a "gaping hole" appear beneath his vessel, an event he likened to an "implosion" or being caught in a waterfall.
Fire crews declared a major incident at 4.22am as millions of gallons of water escaped, and helped around 12 people to safety. Two other narrow boats remain trapped at the bottom of the breach, with a winching operation to recover them scheduled to begin later this week.
Complex Refloating Operation
Engineers from the Canal & River Trust oversaw the intricate operation to salvage the Pacemaker. The craft was first pulled underneath a movable footbridge and then positioned inside a temporary dam. After being moved using a winch, engineers took just over an hour to fill the dammed section with water, allowing the boat to rejoin the canal network.
Mr Stowe, who is currently in rented accommodation after rescuing his cats from the boat, was able to step on board to inspect the interior. "At the moment I don’t feel like the boat’s mine," he said. "Once everybody’s gone and once we’ve had it inspected and checked, we’ve had all the repairs done and it’s back in the water, then I’ll feel like it’s my boat."
Ongoing Recovery and Investigation
The Trust is now focused on safeguarding the water flow around the breach site on the Llangollen Canal to keep boats downstream afloat, while preparing for the long task of rebuilding the canal. Julie Sharman, chief operating officer at the Trust, thanked donors and supporters, acknowledging the distress caused to the boating community.
The cause of the breach remains under investigation. "The reasons behind earth embankment failures are not always clear, and multiple factors may be involved," said Ms Sharman. A summary of the findings from a full investigation is expected to be made public in the coming weeks.
