Abandoned Barge Creates Stir on River Witham

A vigilant group of locals recently managed to secure an abandoned 60ft barge that had begun to drift four miles down the River Witham, in Lincolnshire, without any crew on board. The barge was initially discovered near Langrick and required the combined efforts of between eight and ten people to ensure it was halted before reaching Boston, where it could have potentially caused serious damage.

John Aston, a local boat owner, portrayed the task as both challenging and essential to protect the town’s lock gates from harm. Another river boater, Kat Rushby, promptly informed the Canal and River Trust and the fire services about the threat instigated by the unmanned boat.

Stephen Hardy of the Canal and River Trust confirmed that the owner of the barge, who had since been identified and reached out to, is making arrangements to have the boat moved from the area. Prior to this incident, the barge had been moored and unattended for several weeks. It was reported that the owner is currently residing in Australia.

This article was originally reported by www.bbc.com and has since been adapted by The Lincoln Post.