Just a Horrendous day

We have just had the most horrendous day on Derwent6 and don't want another one. So don't read this blog if you are squeamish or get upset..

We had a bit of a lay in in the morning as Al had booked her Asda delivery. Matty had met up with Leo and they caught a frog and some tiddlers with the net..

At 9.30am we decided to go up the locks and the boat behind us said they would join us.. It was a couple in their seventies we think, and the help would be good.. We pulled into the lock and pulled Derwent6 over while the husband helped Al on the opposite gates.. His wife had just pulled alongside Derwent6 and the next thing Del heard was a thud.. (What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion). The husband had tripped on the lock bollards and come down on his shoulder and then rolled into the lock.. He had dropped ten feet and hit his forehead on the roof of his boat, unconscious he hit his head on the lock wall and rolled down to the gunwale near the stern deck of the boat.. Del could see his injuries and they weren't good.. As the weight of his body pushed the boat away from the wall he fell into the water, with his leg trapped on the stern deck. The first thought was to turn the engine off, as he was head first in the water. Del jumped across the boats and managed to grab his belt which was on the waters surface, but couldn't get his head out of the water.. Del then grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled, managing then to get his head out the water.. Grabbing him round the chest and locking his hands he pulled. The man then coughed and spluttered as Del gripped him under the arms, Del couldn't believe he was alive!!! After some calls for HELP! another guy turned up and was able to free his legs and help Del in getting him on the stern deck.. his injuries were horrendous, but amazingly, he was able to talk to us. The guy who helped Del turned out to be an ex policeman and worked for the Red Cross (and we're sorry but we have forgotten his name) but he kept the husband talking, and we found out the husbands name was Chris.. Al had watched all this and had managed to get the help and also called an ambulance and guided them to the scene of the accident.. The ambulance was there in four minutes and Al guided the paramedics into the lock. While they worked on Chris, Del held the boats while Al let the lock up gently.

By this time we had loads of people to help lift him to the ambulance.. Chris was still conscious when he was taken away.. Al supported Chris's wife and helped her get a bag together for the hospital with phone, charger, money and any medications they were taking, and also helped her button up the boat, she then got in the ambulance and they were rushed off..  We pulled their boat out of the lock and made it secure, it was also being looked after by some locals.. Very shaken, we got on Derwent6 and put in on the water point, a cup of sweet tea was in order, and Al called CART to update them. Ten minutes later the Asda delivery turned up which took our minds off it a bit..

After getting ourselves together we decided to leave and headed for the Braunston tunnel..  As we entered the tunnel we met six boats one of them on the kink in the tunnel..

There was aloud scraping noise down the side of Derwent6, can the day get any worse... When we got out the other side we checked the damage and our first bit of luck was that the sliding catch on the side doors had taken the brunt of the damage and kept Derwent6 off the side panels. 

We approached the first lock at Braunston and was very apprehensive about doing it.. but even Matty was brave enough to help, who was also a star through all this.

We stopped at the chandlers and picked up oil and filters for Derwent6's next service before heading out towards Wigram's turn.. Two Viking boats pulled out in front of us, unable to steer, and we were at idle as we followed them to bridge 103 where we had had enough and moored up..

Matty then made us some Duck shaped shortbread to help us all get our heads together... lets hope we get some sleep, but we doubt it... PLEASE GUYS GIVE LOCKS MUCH RESPECT!!!