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WATCH: Narrowboat owner tells GB News he's been forced out of his home after huge sinkhole
Dec 22, 2025
Narrowboat owner Paul Smith-Storey has told GB News of the shocking moment a huge 50-metre sinkhole almost claimed his home in Shropshire, admitting it was "really scary".Speaking to the People's Channel, Mr Smith-Storey revealed he was just three boats away from the site of the landslip which caused the sinkhole, leaving the boats stranded.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
More than 10 people have had to be rescued after a huge sinkhole opened in a c in Shropshire
0:06
leaving several narrowboats stranded. Yes, three boats have been affected by the incident, with at least two swallowed by the sinkhole
0:12
which is approximately 50 by 50 metres in size. Extraordinary. Well, joining us with the story is Paul Smith Story
0:20
who's on a c boat three boats away from this sinkhole. Paul, this sort of thing doesn't really happen very often, does it
0:30
It doesn't. There was a huge breach on the Bridgewater C last year, but this is the first time you've actually seen boats at the bottom of the breach
0:37
It was quite scary to witness, to be honest. So how close are you? What can you actually, what can you see from where you are
0:44
Yeah, well, we're about 90 metres away from where the sinkhole started. We woke up at 20 past four this morning
0:50
There was crashing on the boat because the boat was listing. We got off and a friend of ours told us that there was a sinkhole that had appeared
0:57
and that there was a boat about to drop into it. When we got there, the boat was already in the bottom of the sinkhole
1:05
The rush of water was incredible. It just sounded like a huge waterfall. Luckily, those boaters got out
1:11
and we actually know the chap whose first boat went in. We only spoke to him yesterday
1:15
He only got here yesterday, unfortunately, but we're just so thankful that he got out in time with his dog
1:22
Gosh Paul just explain what we seeing on our screens right now So the narrowboat there has come out of the water that we see on the left and it sort of rolled over and down into the sinkhole
1:35
What's going on? That's the actual line where the red clay is, is the line of the c
1:39
Just where those three trees are to the left is a field that's flooded and I think that's where the water's escaped from the c
1:45
and it's just flooded the field to the left of that image. Yeah, yeah, but yeah, it was really scary
1:52
It sounds absolutely terrifying. So do you live on your c boat? And the man who just made it out on time with his dog
1:58
he's just arrived here. Does he live on that boat as well? What's going to happen to the boat? Yeah, as far as we know
2:02
the three boaters were all living on their c boats. We've been living on a narrow boat for five years
2:08
We'd planned to have a nice Christmas in Whitchurch, which is just a 10 or 15-minute walk from this spot
2:14
But, yeah, now it's just made it really difficult for people living on boats
2:19
We're now listing it at a 45-degree angle. I'm looking out the window to my left
2:23
and all I can see is the bank there's no sky sorry Paul you're on your boat right now
2:29
and you're listening at a 45 degree angle is that why in your picture we can sort of
2:35
see the diagonal of your roof are you not a bit fretting for yourself
2:40
it's difficult the dogs find it difficult to walk on board everything's falling out of the cabinets
2:47
the drawers are open yeah it going I mean I on here because I doing a few things today to do with the breach But yeah I think we just going to have to come off the boat You can cook We can run our generator to top up our batteries
3:02
because we need water to run our generator. And there's probably about two inches of water under the boat
3:08
That's it. Paul, I have to say, you sound remarkably relaxed as someone in that situation
3:14
I'm very impressed. I think I'd be shrieking not having a calm conversation on national television
3:18
I think because most people, because everyone's all right and they've got off
3:22
I mean, we were really upset. It was very emotional to see those people stood at the bank in the early hours of the morning
3:29
knowing that all their belongings are on that boat. That's their home. So, yeah, we were upset by it this morning
3:35
But as narrowboaters, I think we just have to learn to crack on
3:39
and hope that the C and River Trust come along and fix this breach
3:42
and get all the boats refloating as soon as possible. Well, I hope that the 45 degree angle doesn't
3:48
I've just got images of Titanic in my mind. That's not what he wants to hear
3:52
I'm sure it won't, but I don't know if you've got violins and cellos to get out on the roof
3:58
But in all seriousness, you chose a life on a c boat
4:04
on a narrowboat. Why did you choose this? Was it the sort of sense of adventure
4:09
What made you pick moving into a boat? Yeah, definitely, that sense of adventure
4:14
Every other day we move to a new location. If you not got great neighbours you can move on And to wake up with the scenery around you it is a beautiful lifestyle and it can be a challenge and I think that the thing as a as a as a narrow boater you
4:30
sort of do get faced with these challenges we've been stuck by a breach before but not this close
4:36
and we've had a tire wrapped around our propeller and we couldn't move the boat for two days
4:40
and you just get over these challenges and the voting community have already we've had so many
4:45
messages asking if we're okay people have drove miles to turn up and ask if we wanted to stay
4:51
with them for christmas it is the lifestyle and the community that we love oh that does sound
4:56
amazing i didn't realize there was such a sort of narrow boat community what's what do you know
5:00
what's going to happen to that man whose whose boat perhaps has been destroyed by this sinkhole
5:04
you've already been helping him out by the sounds of it well there are three boats that are in that
5:09
sinkhole i believe the local community centers opened up and they've gone there for food and
5:13
shelter. His wife luckily had gone to visit her father and she's on her way back
5:20
Yeah, I dread to think what would have happened if they were asleep on that boat and it just dropped into that sinkhole
5:26
I guess they would have got out, but yeah, it was dark, it was raining
5:30
the noise was tremendous. I think it must have been so scary for those people that lost their boats
5:36
Well, it's good news to hear that everyone is safe and sound and do stay safe
5:39
yourself, Paul. I'm slightly concerned about the angle of your boat, but I'm sure you know
5:43
a lot more about it than both of us. Very much admire your spirit. Thanks indeed for joining us. Paul Smith's story
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