A four-man team from River Canal Rescue (RCR) recovered nb Molly from Bath deep lock on the Kennet & Avon Canal after the vessel was sucked back onto the cill and sank.
The incident happened at lock 8/9, on 10 September and the Canal & River Trust issued a navigation closure alert at 2.50pm, citing a boating incident. According to eyewitnesses, the Anglo Welsh boat was preparing to leave the lock when she was sucked back onto the cill. Once caught, the strength and volume of the water caused the boat to sink. Three people were recovered from the lock and, thankfully, no one was injured.
By the following morning, RCR’s Pete Barnett, Andy Spencer, Jake Mullen and Mark Lovatt-Harris were on site to undertake the recovery. Conditions were challenging, particularly because of the depth of the lock and the volume of water involved.
Chief rescue co-ordinator, Pete, explains: “The CRT emptied the pound above the lock for us, so the flow inside the lock would be as minimal as possible, because the sound of the water coming into the lock was deafening. We couldn’t hear each other at all and it was around 20 feet down in there.
“Having reduced the flow, we protected the windows to stop any water ingress once we started to pump out, and put tarpaulins over the bow and stern doors and engine bay. Once the boat was sealed, three pumps, each with a capacity of 65,000 litres an hour, took just over an hour to empty and refloat the vessel. A smaller pump got rid of the remaining water in the cabin and engine bay, and then we had an additional rescue – a huge perch.“
Pete says the boat’s owners had already completed a substantial journey before the incident.
“It appears the people on the boat had just completed a huge trip, including over 120 locks, with no issue. They were just popping down to take a look at Bath Basin, planning to turn around and come back.”
A YouTube video shows what happened when Molly began to sink.
At 5.92 metres (19ft 5in) deep, Bath Deep Lock is the second-deepest lock in the country. Only Tuel Lane Lock on the Rochdale Canal is deeper, at 6 metres (19ft 8.5in).
RCR perfected the art of raising boats in locks without the need for heavy equipment, reducing the risk of damaging heritage sites. Nearly 20 years ago, a similar rescue was undertaken at this location; then boaters would have faced delays of weeks or months while site surveys, assessments and authorisations were applied for to close roads and bring in cranes that could lift from accessible locations.
Once the CRT realised the impact a fast response team with the skills to undertake rescues safely could bring, RCR became one of only two teams pre-authorised to undertake recoveries (the other is Commercial Boat Services).
With thousands of rescues undertaken, very rarely do boaters face more than a few days delay before locks re-open, which is also beneficial to insurance companies who no longer have to totally write-off vessels due to prolonged water exposure.
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