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Narrow Boat Refloated After Canal Breach
13 Jan
Summary
- A narrow boat named Pacemaker was refloated after a canal bank collapse.
- Two other narrow boats remain stranded in the breach awaiting rescue.
- The incident occurred on December 22, waking residents near Whitchurch.
Engineers have successfully refloated the narrow boat Pacemaker, which was left high and dry by a canal bank collapse three weeks ago. The incident occurred on December 22 near Whitchurch, Shropshire, causing a large section of the canal bank to breach and creating a significant sinkhole.
The stern of the Pacemaker was left suspended over the 50-meter-long sinkhole, an event its owner likened to being caught in a waterfall. Fortunately, engineers managed to pull the boat under a temporary footbridge and refloat it within a newly constructed dam.
Two other narrow boats remain stranded in the sinkhole and are awaiting a specialized operation to winch them to safety later this week. The initial breach led to millions of gallons of water escaping the canal, prompting a major incident response that assisted around 12 people.
