Narrowboat hits brick wall in the River Trent
25 Jan 2010
Narrowboat left stranded on a wall rescued by River Canal Rescue just before midnight last Friday
INLAND WATERWAYS: Hoping to make their destination before dark, the 57ft narrowboat Away With The Fairies left Torksey lock late on Friday January 21 for the trip to Newark using the river Trent which, although swollen, was deemed to be navigable.
Just after passing under the A57 bridge and in what seemed to be relatively deep water with no signs of an obstruction, the boat became stuck on something on a falling tide. As the river dropped it revealed a submerged wall.
Owner Christine Ritchie called the emergency services, which brought the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire fire brigades. They got the crew off the boat before, in turn, calling British Waterways (BW) for help. BW said it couldn’t put a recovery team together, but suggested trying River Canal Rescue (RCR).
RCR received the call at 20.30 and although Ms Ritchie wasn’t a member (and this wasn’t an event covered), the company dispatched a team in a 4 x 4 that managed to reach the river and launch a rescue boat.
The 4x4 began to follow the river aiming to meet the rest of the team at the narrowboat’s very remote location, but the fire rescue vehicles and heavy rain made the route impassable… So the 4x4 team abandoned the vehicle and carried on by foot.
Eventually arriving at the boat, the RCR engineers secured it with ropes and checked the engine. With the tide beginning to flood they began the delicate task of releasing the boat from the wall - guide ropes ready should the tide try to twist or roll her.
Around 23.30, the RCR team called in to say they’d got the boat off the wall, managed to turn her around and were taking her up to the floating pontoon at the A57 bridge.
By 23.50 the crew was finally reunited with the vessel and the RCR engineers were able to load up the rescue boat and head home. JD...
Just after passing under the A57 bridge and in what seemed to be relatively deep water with no signs of an obstruction, the boat became stuck on something on a falling tide. As the river dropped it revealed a submerged wall.
Owner Christine Ritchie called the emergency services, which brought the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire fire brigades. They got the crew off the boat before, in turn, calling British Waterways (BW) for help. BW said it couldn’t put a recovery team together, but suggested trying River Canal Rescue (RCR).
RCR received the call at 20.30 and although Ms Ritchie wasn’t a member (and this wasn’t an event covered), the company dispatched a team in a 4 x 4 that managed to reach the river and launch a rescue boat.
The 4x4 began to follow the river aiming to meet the rest of the team at the narrowboat’s very remote location, but the fire rescue vehicles and heavy rain made the route impassable… So the 4x4 team abandoned the vehicle and carried on by foot.
Eventually arriving at the boat, the RCR engineers secured it with ropes and checked the engine. With the tide beginning to flood they began the delicate task of releasing the boat from the wall - guide ropes ready should the tide try to twist or roll her.
Around 23.30, the RCR team called in to say they’d got the boat off the wall, managed to turn her around and were taking her up to the floating pontoon at the A57 bridge.
By 23.50 the crew was finally reunited with the vessel and the RCR engineers were able to load up the rescue boat and head home. JD...
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