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A narrowboat named the Pacemaker was saved after it was found dangerously close to falling into a large hole that formed when part of the Llangollen Canal in Whitchurch, Shropshire, collapsed. The incident happened on Monday, triggered by what authorities described as an “embankment failure.” Paul Stowe, the boat’s owner and resident along with his wife, son, and two cats, woke up early around 04:10 GMT to the sound of rushing water, which he compared to “Niagara Falls.” He and his family managed to evacuate quickly, escaping barefoot and leaving behind all their possessions.
The rescue operation for the Pacemaker took place late Tuesday evening. Shropshire Council explained that a specialist winch was used to pull the boat away from the edge of the breach after the canal was drained. The boat was safely positioned near the lift bridge and is scheduled to be refloated in the new year, once a dam has been constructed upstream. Meanwhile, the Canal and River Trust worked through the night to pump water back into dammed sections of the canal. By early Wednesday morning, water levels were rising, allowing the refloating of one boat close to the breach as well as six others further up the canal, all expected to be fully afloat later in the day.
In an earlier statement to the BBC, Paul Stowe shared that the family lost everything but the clothes they were wearing, having no access to phones or credit cards during the evacuation. Stowe reflected on the experience, expressing uncertainty about returning to mooring boats in that area or on embankments at all. “I’m not sure I’ll ever moor in this area again, I’m not sure I’ll ever moor on an embankment again,” he said. He also admitted, “I’ll be honest with you, it’s very debatable [that] I’ll ever want to go on a boat again.”
Campbell Robb, chief executive of the Canal and River Trust, confirmed that the initial emergency phase focused on the safety of boaters and that efforts were now concentrated on refilling the canal around the breach to restore navigation. He assured that updates would be regularly provided to local residents and the boating community. Robb noted that breaches of such magnitude are unusual but costly and complex to repair. The Canal and River Trust has indicated that full repairs could take several months, with investigations into the cause of the collapse ongoing alongside plans to recover two boats trapped in the breach and undertake a lengthy canal restoration process
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