Boat slides 'like Titanic' into huge hole after canal collapse

Video shows canal boat falling into huge hole after Whitchurch embankment collapse A nearby boat owner, Phil Johnson, 56, says he saw the boat "teetering on the edge" before slowly disappearing. Image:Bottom of the hole where the canal normally runs. Pic: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service Image:Pic: PA Wednesday 24 December 2025 15:28, UK Video footage has captured the moment a boat fell into a huge hole after a canal embankment collapsed. The incident took place in Whitchurch, Shropshire , just after 4am on Monday, with large amounts of water gushing on to surrounding land. Three boats were affected and the fire service helped 12 people evacuate as they declared a major incident . The clip shows the boat teetering on the brink and the sound of cracking wood, before it tips into a hole about 50m long. Paul Smith-Storey, 58, described being woken by a "big crash" and a "massive roar of water". "It felt like a disaster movie, especially when that boat dropped over the edge," he said. "It's just incredible, these steel boats weigh about 17 tonnes and to see the force of water just carry that over the edge is quite scary." Another boat owner, Phil Johnson, 56, said water was flying past at "horrendous speed" and he saw the boat "teetering on the edge" before slowly disappearing. "It's awful to say but it reminded me of that horrible scene from the Titanic film, because that's what it was like, when the back goes down and the bow comes up, and it finally just slid into the hole," he added. Read more from Sky News: British boy stabbed to death in Portugal namedFourth Palestine Action detainee pauses hunger strike Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free There were no reports of injuries and fire service area manager Scott Hurford said it appeared people realised the water level was dropping and were able to start evacuating before they arrived. The Canal and River Trust is trying to stabilise the site and secure the boats but says repair work on the embankment is likely to take at least six months.

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