River Canal Rescue has responded to a record number of emergency call-outs this summer.
From June 1 to July 31 the breakdown and emergency assistance firm responded to 902 call-outs and undertook 223 major rescues or repair jobs.
During the same period last year, there were 833 call-outs and 208 major rescues or repairs.
One of its recent major rescues – on July 20 – was to raise a 70ft narrowboat from Macclesfield Canal.
The boat sank in lock nine of Bosley’s 12 lock flight after appearing to have got caught on the lock gate cill. It was the owners first day out on their first boat.
Recovery
“Speed was of the essence to clear the waterway – we were notified of the sinking the afternoon of July 19, by early evening we’d assessed the site and at 10am the next day, a four-man team began to raise the vessel,” explained RCR operations director, Jay Forman.
The rescue involved draining the lock, sealing the boat and setting up water pumps to prevent water ingress when the lock re-filled.
Jay concluded: “This is a tricky lock flight, particularly for people new to boating – we’ve had to raise three boats from here in three years.”