Boat Hits Henley Bridge - Road Closed & Central Arch Closed

[Richard Shead]

So it was you then?

My guess would be that the vessel was caught out by the twist that can occurr when halfway through the bridge and hit it as he exited, pulling the facing stones from the leading edge. (I could have been a detective)

Or maybe not.....?

What pull? I am in the picture earlier in this thread and driven loads of big stuff through there but never felt a "pull" (well maybe in the high street by the boys in blue...)

 

[teddington_lock]

Only pull i've had in Henley was at Stallones .....

and that girl from the Henley Tea Rooms ......

 

[byron]

The cruiser hit the central arch - there are 5 arches in Henley Bridge, this can be seen in the original footage.

OK! Maybe I have got it wrong but even on a second look the cruiser seems to be taking the 2nd arch out from Regatta, it is the 3rd arch out which is central.
Now you have me confused.

 

[Captain Coochie]

I think they must have hit the decorative keystone on the face work for no one to be killed and the bridge re opened so soon . Still heavy lumps of rock to hit you on the head but not structual to the bridge although i could be totally wrong in all of the above ( apart from the hitting you on the head bit )
Anyway if they pushed the keystone out that would result in the other stones giving way and falling on the cockpit .

 

[Harleyford_S37]

Seven stones fell in total

On Sunday morning the decorative stones from the arch had been laid out on the bank, there were seven in total which the previous day had been in the cockpit of the Carver.

 

[thamesS23]

boat now up for sale at bray marina

 

[nickcred]

thats sad hope all were ok and a shame it seems to have put them off boating unless a smaller one is on the cards

 

[shades]

Dear oh dear!
It seems like your eyesight is fading Byron...
The film taken from outside The Angel clearly shows the vessel entering the 3rd arch from the regatta building - the centre arch.
I travelled through the damaged arch today and the gap where the stones had been was very apparent...

 

[Harleyford_S37]

For Sale?

Boat had a "For Sale" sign in the window on Saturday so probably not for sale as a result of the incident.... what is quite impressive is that the boat didn't seem to suffer much visible damage considering what it did to the bridge.

It wasnt obvious exactly what part of the boat struck the bridge but if it was the SS arch then that was still in place and although only screwed to the fibreglass didnt look to have even had the screws pulled out. Tough as old boots!

 

[boatone]

Boatone has a theory............

Did the boat hit the bridge or, is it just possible that it was the BRIDGE which hit the boat?

Difficult to see any sign of damage on the pics of the boat and the radar arch and its paraphernalia seems unscathed. Did the skipper sneeze? was he called Joshua? Did just the slightest of touches result in the bridge falling down ? Or, just maybe, the stones fell down completely co-incidentally? They certainly don't seem to have been attached very well......

Please don't attach Byron's eyesight. I also thought the canoeist was coming up through the middle arch before I looked more carefully. My reason for asking Byron why the canoeist should be prosecuted. though, was for a different reason - it was still the motor boats responsibility to take avoiding action even if he did have the right of way.

So, has anyone seen any visible evidence of a collision point on the boat itself that would indicate that it did HIT (rather than just touch) the bridge?

 

[Brayman]

Boatone has a theory............



So, has anyone seen any visible evidence of a collision point on the boat itself that would indicate that it did HIT (rather than just touch) the bridge?

If the boat hit the bridge it would have been on the port side, because that is how the stream pushes you when going downstream, certainly upriver there was a fair old stream running all weekend so it is highly likely. Unfortunately the pictures really only show the starboard side.

As for bridges moving, better lay off the medication Tony!

 

[boatone]

I travelled through the damaged arch today and the gap where the stones had been was very apparent...

Were the stones missing from the underside of the bridge or were they facing/capping stones?

 

[savageseadog]

Boatone has a theory............

Did the boat hit the bridge or, is it just possible that it was the BRIDGE which hit the boat?

Difficult to see any sign of damage on the pics of the boat and the radar arch and its paraphernalia seems unscathed. Did the skipper sneeze? was he called Joshua? Did just the slightest of touches result in the bridge falling down ? Or, just maybe, the stones fell down completely co-incidentally? They certainly don't seem to have been attached very well......

Please don't attach Byron's eyesight. I also thought the rower was coming up through the middle arch before I looked more carefully. My reason for asking Byron why the rower should be prosecuted. though, was for a different reason - it was still the motor boats responsibility to take avoiding action even if he did have the right of way.

So, has anyone seen any visible evidence of a collision point on the boat itself that would indicate that it did HIT (rather than just touch) the bridge?

It must have been another boat that hit the bridge and stuck the stones back in place with chewing gum.

 

[thamesS23]

picture of the damaged bridge

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/media/photos/310810/main/bridgecrash1.jpg

 

[Richard Shead]

Wow

picture of the damaged bridge

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/media/photos/310810/main/bridgecrash1.jpg

The guy got stuck to the bridge......

 

[Ramage]

Please don't attach Byron's eyesight. I also thought the rower was coming up through the middle arch before I looked more carefully.

I am getting worried about your eyesight B1...that is not a rower, its a Kayaker. Like a rower I grant you, but kayakers face the direction of travel and many of them actually like a bit of wash......

 

[Chris_d]

He might have only hit a side "facing" stone with a light glancing blow but that was enough to allow the rest of the stones in the arch above to fall out onto the helmsman, hence the lack of damage to the boat.

The bridge pointing is probably in need of repair much like has recently been redone to Shillingford bridge, Clifton hampdon bridge near me is also missing many bricks on the arch edges, so beware