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Canal boat stag party ends in disaster

The chaotic celebration took place on the Droitwich Canal in Worcestershire
The chaotic celebration took place on the Droitwich Canal in Worcestershire

A stag party on a canal ended in disaster after the group managed to sink one of their 30ft boats in a lock.

The group had rented three barges for their drink-fuelled weekend but by the end of the first day, one lay partially submerged and another had been abandoned.

The chaotic celebration took place on the Droitwich Canal in Worcestershire, which was forced to shut while emergency services retrieved the sunken vessel.

The stag party had hired the barges from local rental company, ABC Boat Hire, but only a few hours after taking to the water they had managed to crash into another boat.

Amanda Huxtable, who was on the boat that was struck by the revellers, said she called the police after the collision at around 9.30pm on May 20.

'Incapable'

She added: “These guys were incapable of being in charge of a narrowboat.”

The group carried on down the waterway but when they tried to navigate their way through a lock, disaster struck and one of the boats became stuck.

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By the time rescue teams and volunteers from the River Canal Rescue arrived, the vessel was partially submerged.

As a result of the blockage, the water levels in the canal rose and a number of nearby roads were flooded.

After getting the boat stuck, the stag party decided to abandon the second vessel as well and all clambered aboard the third barge.

The sunken barge in happier times on the idyllic stretch of canal
The sunken barge in happier times on the idyllic stretch of canal

Local residents said such incidents are a regular occurrence on the canal and called for tighter regulations.

The Canals and River Trust said it was first notified of a situation regarding flooding on a nearby road at 9.30pm on Friday evening, and then again at 10.15pm about misuse at the locks in Droitwich Canal.

'Ultimately their boat got stuck'

A spokesperson said: “I think it was a stag party and there were three boats.

“One was the one that got into trouble and that was because they didn’t operate the locks and the paddles properly, so ultimately their boat got stuck.

“We are relieved that there have been no injuries or anything worse.”

A spokesperson for ABC boat hire said: "Full handovers were carried out at the marina before the guests left the boatyard yesterday afternoon.

"The parties have been removed from the other boats in the group and no one has been hurt."

A spokesperson for Droitwich police said they are not currently investigating the incident.