Freak wave sinks narrowboat

A FREAK wave on the Don Navigation near Thorne caused a narrowboat to take in so much water that it sank.

Pauline and Norman Brown lost their home when their boat Little Nell, was struck by a wave as the pair headed back to their moorings at Blue Water Marina at Thorne, Alan Tilbury tells us.

Able to escape

They managed to get to the river bank, and tried to tie the sinking boat but were unsuccessful though the two were able to escape before it sank, with Norman explaining:

"It was just freak weather, it changed dramatically. The water was very rough and the waves were high. They burst through the canopy at the front of the boat and flooded it."

Pauline and Norman lived on the boat, which has now been raised, and are salvaging as much as they can.  The owners of Blue water Marina have given them the use of a narrowboat to live on whilst the insurance is being sorted out.