A couple who live on a narrowboat faced a Christmas without a home after a massive sinkhole opened up and drained part of a Shropshire canal, but their holiday was saved by an outpouring of support from strangers.
A Sudden Disaster on the Llangollen Canal
The crisis began in the early hours of Monday morning, around 4.20am on December 22, 2025, when a section of the canal bank collapsed near Whitchurch in Shropshire. The breach, described as a 'sinkhole', rapidly drained the water from the Llangollen Canal.
Paul and Anthony Smith-Storey were asleep on their narrowboat when they were jolted awake as their vessel began to tilt violently. Paul, who runs the YouTube channel Narrowboat Life Unlocked, recounted belongings flying as the bathroom cabinet flung open. The pair quickly evacuated their home, which was left listing at a 45-degree angle and without power, as the water supporting it vanished.
Walking 90 metres to the site of the breach, they witnessed what Paul called "the biggest waterfall you've ever heard." He told Metro: "There was nothing we could do but stand there and watch it unfold. It was horrible watching the boat going over the breach."
Community Spirit Saves Christmas
Facing the prospect of spending Christmas with nowhere to stay, the couple's situation changed dramatically when Paul shared a video of the incident online. The narrowboat community, including thousands of their YouTube subscribers, responded immediately with countless offers of help.
One generous viewer even offered the use of their vacant boat on a nearby unaffected part of the canal for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Local friends also provided emergency accommodation. "We have had so many offers of help from the boating community, offering for us to stay with them for Christmas. Everyone has rallied around," said Paul.
The kindness flowed both ways. Moved by the plight of others hit harder, Paul set up a GoFundMe page that raised more than £15,000 for three boaters whose vessels were completely swallowed by the sinkhole and who "have lost everything."
Rapid Response and Recovery Efforts
The Canal and River Trust has been working at speed to manage the incident and repair the damage. A spokesperson confirmed the distressing impact, noting that two boats were washed into the breach and two more were left teetering on the edge. A further six boats were stranded without water.
Emergency accommodation was coordinated with the local authority. Norbury Wharf, a canal boat company in Shropshire, also offered free emergency accommodation on its hire boats. Repair work progressed swiftly, with one side of the breach dammed and refilled already. Paul expressed hope that water could be restored to the section where his boat remains by the following day.
Campbell Robb, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, stated: "Our teams have been on site since the early hours, securing and making the canal safe and assisting the boat owners impacted. The most important thing is that all those affected are safe."
Paul reflected on the community's resilience: "This is how the British handle it. They crack on and get together and rally together. I am just thankful." What began as a disaster threatening to ruin Christmas became a powerful demonstration of community spirit and mutual aid on the UK's waterways.
