THAT SINKING FEELING
BOAT OWNER DISTRAUGHT AS FLOATING CAFE SINKS IN BRISTOL HARBOUR AFTER ‘CATASTROPHIC FAILURE’
AN investigation has been launched after a “catastrophic failure” caused a floating cafe in Bristol to sink overnight.
All that can be seen of Greenshank at its mooring near to the SS Great Britain is its white roof and red sign beneath the surface of the harbour waters.
Long-running boat tour agency Bristol Packet spent around six years painstakingly converting the 1936 narrow boat into a cafe-bar, before opening it to the public in 2017.
Luke Dunstan, co-director of Bristol Packet, said it was “overwhelming” to see the boat lying at the bottom of the harbour.
“I jumped out of bed freaking out when I heard what had happened this morning,” he said.
“I’ve seen a few boats go down over the years but I’ve never seen one of my own go down. It’s a bit overwhelming and just really sad.
“So much effort has gone into it and now it’s sitting at the bottom of the water.”
An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident, which is believed to have happened at around 3am, and Luke said it was still too early to say whether Greenshank will be able to return to operation as a cafe.
Divers are due to survey the boat underwater today, before it is raised above water using airbags so that the full extent of the damage can be assessed.
“We don’t know what’s happened yet,” added Luke, whose family took over Bristol Packet in 1980.
“It’s a catastrophic failure of some description and we will investigate. All we know is that it’s somehow filled up with water and gone down.”
A nearby resident said it “sounded like massive fireworks going off ” as the cafe, which is spread across two narrow boats attached together, started to sink beneath the water.
Luke said the “saving grace” was that the other boats in Bristol Packet’s fleet – Tower Belle, Bagheera, Flower of Bristol and Redshank – which were moored next to Greenshank, remain unscathed.
“Thankfully our other boats are above water and we can still operate them,” he said. “We’ll be keeping our spirits up as best we can. It’s not impossible to get Greenshank up and it could well run again. At least it hasn’t burned to the ground and we know where it is.”
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “The Harbour Authority has been made aware of this incident and is working with the owners of the boats to ensure the safety of other water users and the harbour itself is maintained.
“Underwater surveys are likely to begin tomorrow to establish the position and condition of the vessels. This will allow plans for their salvage and removal to be made in order for an investigation on the circumstances of their sinking to proceed.”
I was just raging and very angry – we’ve got no enemies so who could do such a vile act? It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever had to deal with. Brian Howells
ABRISTOL family has been left “raging” after a deliberate fire was lit outside their two-year-old son’s ground floor bedroom as he slept.
Wioleta Adriana, 39, awoke to the sounds of her neighbour frantically banging on her flat door as flames blazed around her son’s bedroom window in the early hours of Sunday morning.
She said she immediately began to panic as she desperately tried to wake the sleeping toddler.
“I was so scared for my baby and I just kept on shaking him to wake up,” she added.
Traumatised by the ordeal, she contacted her partner Brian Howells, who was stunned by what he saw when he arrived at the Victoria Parade property in Easton.
He said: “I was just raging and very angry – we’ve got no enemies so who could do such a vile act?
Mr Howells said he was grateful the windows were not open because if it had been five more minutes he could have lost his whole family.
The couple, who have been together for eight years, said they have never experienced something so distressing, and if it wasn’t for the bravery of their neighbours the incident could have ended in fatalities.
Mr Howells said: “It’s the hardest thing we’ve ever had to deal with. We were both very distraught and I was out of my comfort zone.
“We cannot thank the street enough, they were in and out throwing water until the emergency services arrived.
“They really pulled all the strings to help my family.”
The 40-year-old believes that the national lockdown has caused people to express themselves in ways they wouldn’t normally do.
He said that antisocial behaviour had worsened in the neighbourhood, with reports that more fires were ignited on both Devon and Whitehall Road, neighbouring streets close to Ms Adriana’s home.
The mother-of-two said it was thanks to a quick thinking neighbour, who lives above her flat, that she was able to quickly vacate the property with her two children.
The pair are now considering looking for a home elsewhere for the safety of their young family.
Ms Adriana said the incident has left her shaken and she now experiences aches and pains across her chest and ribs.
“The toxins were passing through my home as we slept but I am grateful my amazing neighbours rescued us and looked after my boys,” she said.
A police spokesperson said: “In the early hours of Sunday morning we were made aware of two incidents the fire service was dealing with in the Redfield area of Bristol.
“The first involved a bin fire in Avonvale Road at about 3.45am.
“While at the scene we were made aware by firefighters of a second fire in the front garden of a property in Victoria Parade that happened at about 3.50am.
“The neighbourhood team has been made aware of the incidents.”
Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to report it online, or via 101, giving reference numbers 5221131271 and 5221131273 respectively.
Avon Fire and Rescue Services said the fires were believed to be started deliberately.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service advises the public to remain vigilant, and follow fire safety advice.
Rubbish is a ready source of fuel for an arsonist, so fires involving rubbish can quickly spread to nearby homes and buildings putting lives at risk.
Never store rubbish, or anything that can catch alight, in corridors, stairwells, near escape routes or near to your property
Keep communal bin stores secure and well lit
Don’t overload skips and get them removed when full
Report any suspicious behaviour to the police. Remember to call 999 in an emergency, and 101 to report anything else. If you discover a fire, get yourself to a safe space and call 999. Do not attempt to tackle the fire, even if it is outside.