A passenger on a boat that exploded leaving nine people injured in Lechlade has described the floor disappearing – as guests jumped into the water to escape.
The woman, who doesn’t wish to be named, said she had joined a birthday celebration on the vessel on the banks of the River Thames when there was a ‘loud bang’.
She says the floor beneath them disappeared and they all leapt into the water to flee.
As first reported by Wiltshire 999s, emergency services raced to the scene on Saturday (31 May) as the boat was destroyed by fire. Nine people – including a baby – were taken to hospital.
The woman said: “We were all out on the boat for a birthday celebration. We were traveling along and then was a load bang and explosion then the floor was no more and it was just in flames.
“We then all jumped into the water and swam to the bank. A lady who was walking by jumped in helped get the children out.”
Mark, a local lock keeper, was manning the lock and surrounding livestock on Saturday.
He said: “I heard it before I saw anything. I heard a loud bang! It was all pretty mad.
“I presumed it was a cruiser that went up in flames. They are made from fiberglass and plastic.
“If it was a narrow boat, they have a steel plate inside them – so it probably wouldn’t have disintegrated like a cruiser. But we wonder whether it was an electric boat?
“Eight ambulances and two air ambulances were at the scene pretty quickly.
“There is now nothing left at all. Just rubble. Lots of gossip has gone around but we believe no one was killed.”
Members of the public helped rescue people from the fire and water as the flames took hold of the vessel.
Two air ambulances, six ambulances, three Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) ambulances and two ambulance rapid response vehicles were on scene.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance both landed in the field near to where 999 vehicles had parked.
Also attending were numerous fire engines and police units from Gloucestershire Constabulary, Thames Valley Police, Wiltshire Police and the MOD Police.
