'They've lost everything': Fundraiser launched for boaters caught up in catastrophic Whitchurch canal collapse
A fundraiser has been launched to help boaters who were caught up in a catastrophic canal failure in Whitchurch.
A major operation was launched in the early hours of Monday (December 22) after what appears to have been an embankment failure led to a huge hole opening up in a stretch of the Llangollen Canal.
The 50-metre hole, in the Chemistry area of the town, swallowed two canal boats and left another teetering on the edge.
Up to 15 people were evacuated from the boats involved and close to the incident.
The Shropshire Star spoke to Bob Wood, the owner of Sefton - one of the boats which plummeted into the hole - and he explained how he had escaped the boat as it descended into the breach.
All 15 were taken to a nearby fire station in the immediate aftermath.
Incredibly no one was hurt.
Now an online fundraiser has been launched to support the owners of the three boats caught up directly in the incident,
So far around 200 people have donated, raising around £5,000.
The fundraiser has been set up by boater Paul Smith-Storey.
Paul and Anthony Smith-Storey run the Narrowboat Life Unlocked YouTube channel, having sold their house and taken the decision to live full time on a narrowboat.
They were moored just yards away from the stretch where the hole opened up.
Paul explained what had inspired the fundraiser on the GoFundMe page.
He said: "Anthony and myself love the community on the canals, they have been wonderful to us and with your help we would love to help the three boats caught up in the breach, although lots of boats have been affected the boat owners on these three boats have lost everything: their home, clothes, belongings."
Learn more or donate on the fundraising page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-boaters.
