Couple 'lost everything' when open weir sank boat on River Thames

A couple are sleeping on a friend's sofa after their river boat sank when part of the Thames was drained.

In May, a weir gate was opened at Sandford-on-Thames, lowering the water level by nearly 2m (6ft 5in) within an hour, boat owner Tim Wiseman said.

Mr Wiseman's boat sank as a result and, since May, he and his partner have stayed in hotels and now with a friend.

The Environment Agency and hydro operator said they are investigating the cause of the water level change.

Mr Wiseman, 41, had lived on his boat with his partner for 15 years and left their boat on the Thames outside Oxford while on holiday in Ireland.

At 01:00 BST on 29 May, he said they received a call that the river "was plummeting and all the boats were in danger".

"We were literally helpless," he told the BBC, and said that when they had returned the water was up to the ceiling of the boat.

"The fire service tried their hardest but... we've lost everything as a result of the water and diesel damage."

Mr Wiseman said it has been four months since the incident and he has still not heard from the Environment Agency (EA) about what happened.

After the incident, he and his partner stayed in a hotel which they said cost them a total of £5,500 and they are now staying with a friend.

"This has been a really difficult time and it has not been made any easier by the fact that nobody is talking to us," he added.

"The Environment Agency is working with Oxford Low Carbon Hubs, the operator, to investigate the uncontrolled release of water at Sandford Weir," a spokesperson said.

They added: "We are awaiting further information from Low Carbon Hubs' marine engineering consultants to determine the cause of the incident."

The social enterprise, Low Carbon Hub built a hydro electric plant as an extension to the weir and said they are working with EA staff to support ongoing investigations.

A spokesperson for Low Carbon Hubs said: "Earlier this month the marine expert who is investigating the incident requested a meeting with the Environment Agency and ourselves in order to share the findings of their investigation to date.

"We are waiting for the Environment Agency to provide a date for that meeting and are hopeful that we will be able to meet with them soon."

The organisation told the BBC its hydro generators were switched off and not operational when the incident occurred.

The EA told the BBC it will email the organisation to fix a firm date for a meeting on Monday.

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