A major incident unfolded in the early hours of the morning on the Shropshire Union Canal near Whitchurch, after a colossal sinkhole opened up, draining a section of the waterway and dragging two narrowboats into the crater.
'Everything Started Falling Over': The 4am Wake-Up Call
Paul Smith-Storey, who runs the YouTube channel Narrowboat Life Unlocked, described being jolted awake by a loud crash at around 4:20am. "Everything started falling over on the boat," he recounted. The vessel, moored just 18 yards from where the ground gave way, began to tilt violently as the water level suddenly dropped by at least two feet.
Fearing a breach in the canal, Smith-Storey and his partner rushed outside. What they witnessed was a scene of unfolding disaster. A gigantic crater, approximately 50 metres by 50 metres in size, had opened up, swallowing the canal bed. One narrowboat was already teetering precariously on the edge. In a dramatic sequence captured on video, that boat was then tipped into the air and dragged down into the hole.
Miracle Escapes and a Major Rescue Operation
The canal bank's collapse caused large volumes of water to flood into surrounding fields. Fire crews, battling "unstable ground and rapidly moving water," launched a complex rescue operation. Fourteen people from nearby moored boats were safely evacuated, with no injuries reported—a fact local councillors called an "absolute miracle."
Among those who lost their home was Bob Wood, 75, who had only moored his boat at the spot the previous night. He awoke to the sensation of his boat leaning and the sound of rushing water. "I jumped on the back and stepped off and that bit was going down at that second," he said. "The back went eight foot in the air and I landed on my front." He immediately alerted neighbours, hammering on the next boat to wake them just in time.
Councillor Andy Hall, who represents Whitchurch North, said the occupants described the sensation as "like an earthquake." A multi-agency response, involving the fire service, police, ambulance, the Canal & River Trust, and the Environment Agency, was swiftly coordinated. Water gates were installed to control the flow and protect the nearby town from further flooding.
Aftermath and Heartbreak Before Christmas
In the aftermath, two narrowboats were left sitting on the exposed canal bed at the bottom of the sinkhole, with a third still perilously close to the edge. Aerial images revealed the stark scale of the destruction. The Canal & River Trust has implemented an emergency closure of the canal between Grindley Locks and Whitchurch By-Pass bridge.
For the displaced residents, the timing adds profound distress. "It is heartbreaking to see," said Paul Smith-Storey. "I am glad everyone is alright but it is their homes and it is a few days before Christmas." The local council's priority is now housing and supporting the 14 affected individuals. The incident also raises concerns for local tourism, as the Llangollen Canal is a significant tourist attraction.
The focus remains on securing the area, assessing the environmental impact, and investigating the cause of the sinkhole, as the community rallies around those who have lost their homes in this shocking pre-dawn disaster.
