Canal Drains Again, Boaters in Danger

0:00On April 8th, workers are fixing a section of the Rochdale Canal in Manchester City Center after it drained out last week for the second time in six months. Boat owners point to a boss repair on a nearby culvert, which left vessels high and dry near new Islington Marina, including a local favorite, called the Manchester pirate boat. This marks the second sudden drop in water levels here since last September, when a leak first caused chaos for the small community of live aboard. Boaters, debris on the canal bed has folks worried about whole damage, whether wide bottom or V-shape designs. Army veteran Dave Marshall, a 53-year-old dad of nine, who's lived on his pirate theme boat for 15 years, woke up pinned against the wall from the tilt. He calls it straight up dangerous, noting people have fallen in before, and could now face nasty drops onto mud. The canal and river trust blains, busted infrastructure, on land owned by Manchester City Council. They're on site now, building temporary dams to stop more leaks,

1:00with plans to refill the canal over the next few days, and get levels back to normal by the weekend. Discussions continue between the trust and council for a permanent fix, so boaters can cruise freely again soon, and this waterway stays a chill spot for locals hitting up nearby cafes.