A 75-year-old man has described his narrow escape after a giant sinkhole opened up on the Llangollen Canal in Shropshire, swallowing several boats and leaving others stranded for a week. Bob Wood said he woke up just in time to jump from his boat as it tilted into the 50-metre-long crater, which appeared suddenly near New Mills Lift Bridge in Whitchurch.
Emergency services declared a major incident at around 5am on Monday after the breach caused large volumes of water to escape into surrounding land. Three boats were caught in the sinkhole, and firefighters helped more than 10 people to safety. There were no reported casualties, but about 12 residents from nearby boats were relocated to a welfare centre.
Wood, who has lived on his boat for eight years, said he initially thought he was in a storm when he heard rushing water. He opened his back door to find the boat tilting and the water draining away underneath. He jumped off just as the back of the boat rose eight feet into the air. His neighbour also escaped moments before his craft went down backwards.
The Canal and River Trust said it was investigating the cause of the breach and working to restore water levels. The Llangollen Canal was among those flagged as an 'amber risk' by the Inland Waterways Association this year due to funding shortfalls and climate pressures. Shropshire councillor Sho Abdul described the scene as 'an absolute crater' and said the lack of casualties was 'an absolute miracle'.
