Boat on cill traps two

IT REQUIRED two fire crews to rescue an elderly couple from a hire boat that caught on the cill of a Grindley Brook lock on the Llangollen Canal.

The couple were trapped in the boat as they were not agile enough to climb the ladder, but luckily were able to contact the emergency services, Alan Tilbury reports.

A ladder was used by the fire people and the couple then assisted out of the lock.

Water going into boat

It was reported that the crew attempted to float the narrowboat by opening the top paddles but all that was achieved was more water going into the boat.

The Shropshire Star reported that 'a specialist team from the Shropshire Union Canal was called to sort the lock and refill it safely'.  But this is not understood.

Difficult to operate

The couple did not need any hospital treatment though they were shocked at their experience.  The Grindley Brook Staircase can be difficult, with it easy to have a boat on the actual bottom, though in this case, this is not what occurred.

In the past the staircase was locked when the resident lock keeper was not available, but boaters are now left to operate it themselves.