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Canal Breach Rescue: Narrowboat Freed After Weeks Trapped
15 Jan
Summary
- One narrowboat freed from canal breach hole after weeks
- Repairs to Llangollen Canal breach expected to take nine months
- Canal breach repair costs estimated to exceed £3 million
One of two narrowboats stranded at the bottom of a hole following a significant canal breach before Christmas has been successfully pulled clear. The incident occurred on December 22nd near Whitchurch, Shropshire, when a hole appeared in the Llangollen Canal, causing water to flood a nearby field.
The rescue operation for the two trapped boats began last Thursday. The first vessel, Ganymede, was winched to safety, although its extraction was delayed by an hour due to mud. A second narrowboat, Sefton, was still being recovered as of Thursday afternoon, with the process expected to take several more hours.
Officials estimate that repairs to the Llangollen Canal breach could take approximately nine months and might exceed £3 million. They noted that while breaches are unusual at this scale, issues with aging canal infrastructure occur periodically. An investigation into the cause of the breach is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
