A stag party shut down a canal after sinking a barge while on a boozy outing this weekend.
A group of men on a jaunt hired three barges from ABC Boat Hire – sinking one on Saturday after crashing another on Friday in Worcestershire.
Their actions caused a nearby road to flood and the closure of a waterway, with police and fire services reportedly called.
Amanda Huxtable said: ‘I called the police because I was extremely frightened by the events
‘These guys were incapable of being in charge of a 65ft narrowboat.
‘ABC had let three narrowboats to a stag party.
‘One sank in a lock after mooring in it, one went elsewhere on the canal system and the third hit me at Astwood Lane near Stoke Prior.’
On social media, another local resident, Angelchops, said: ‘Apparently these idiots hit several boats before this happened.
‘The police were informed but they declined to get involved.
‘If they had, perhaps this could have been avoided. Thankfully no one was killed.’
Local residents said similar disasters are commonplace on the canal and they called for tighter regulations before there is a tragedy.
Sidney13 wrote: ‘We see hire boats come past our house very often with the person steering enjoying a tipple. We’ve seen them steer into the bank with children at the tiller.’
Rousled posted ‘No one would hire a limo or a light aircraft to someone organising a stag event.
‘Why is it legal to be in charge of a boat when drunk? Apart from the risk of damage to infrastructure and other vessels, there is a very real risk of injury or drowning.
‘I’m not advocating a nanny state approach, it is the risk to other boats and possible injury to third parties on those boats that concerns me.
‘That poor woman whose boat was struck must have been terrified at the drunken, noisy and irresponsible rabble blundering into her.’
Action Hank said: ‘Taking a boat on water requires a lot of responsibility. Unless they have just landed from a parallel universe, ABC will be well aware of what goes on during a lads’ stag weekend. They only have themselves to blame.’
Liatris said: ‘Many boat hire companies charge a massive damage deposit to single-sex parties (nearly always stag parties, sometimes hen parties or just groups of friends).’
Gertrude Wilmington: said ‘Too much rum and they’re not Jack Sparrow.’
As an investigation was ordered today, the events leading up to the mayhem started to fall into place.
