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Norfolk Broads holiday cruiser freed from under bridge

HM Coastguard Gorleston Cruiser wedged under bridge at St OlavesHM Coastguard Gorleston
Coastguard rescue teams from Great Yarmouth and Gorleston were called when the Commodore cruiser became stuck

A river cruise came to a sudden halt when a 42ft-long (13m) hire boat became wedged under a bridge.

HM Coastguard rescue teams were called to St Olaves on the Norfolk Broads just before 11:00 BST on Tuesday.

Hemsby Broads Rescue and boat hire company engineers helped free the Commodore cruiser.

Richardson's Boating Holidays chief executive Greg Munford said the four people on board were unhurt and able to continue their week-long holiday.

HM Coastguard Gorleston said water barrels were used to lower the cruiser "just enough to come free".

HM Coastguard Gorleston Cruiser wedged under bridge at St OlavesHM Coastguard Gorleston
Richardson's boat hire engineers and volunteers with Hemsby Broads Rescue helped free the boat

Mr Munford said there "wasn't too much damage to the boat".

"As soon as the handrails hit the bridge, they twisted - but we were able to fix them once the cruiser was freed," he said.

He said such incidents were "few and far between" and the two couples had already navigated five bridges before they struck the one at St Olaves.

They had been given full training on how to use the boat, as well as information on bridge heights and tides, before they were allowed to depart from the company's Stalham base, he added.

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