Narrow boat lost power and was about to hit bridge

At 12:32 on Saturday 21st August London Coastguard requested Chiswick RNLI lifeboat to assist a vessel in trouble.  The report was for a narrow boat, which had lost power and was drifting downstream with the tide.

The crew found the narrow boat just above Barnes rail bridge.  The engine had failed completely and the vessel was perilously close to drifting onto the bridge abutments.  The lifeboat crew quickly secured the vessel and then towed it back to Chiswick pier.  It appeared that the boat’s engine had overheated, despite a recent service.

A spokesman for Chiswick Lifeboat commented “we get a number of calls to assist motor vessels that have lost power, but a significant proportion are narrow boats.  These are designed to operate on the sheltered waters of the canal system and, when making a passage on the tideway the engines are put under much greater stress”. 

Chiswick RNLI lifeboat became operational on the 2nd January 2002. Since then it has responded to over 1,600 emergency calls. To learn more about the lifeboat station go to www.chiswicklifeboat.org.uk. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and Government and is entirely supported by voluntary contributions.

August 25, 2010