A Bridgwater man whose fishing boat was rescued from the bottom of the River Brue at Burnham earlier this autumn was back sailing on it for the first time this week since the incident.
Roger Geach, 58, hit the headlines in September after his £3,000 boat – which he’d only bought a week earlier – sank in the Brue estuary at Burnham-On-Sea.
The town’s Spirit Of Lelaina hovercraft was called and, after several hours, the boat was unplugged from the mud before being towed to the safety of the town’s Sailing Club.
This week, after several weeks of repairs and a big clean-up, the boat was lowered back onto the water and Mr Geach took the steering wheel for a trip around Bridgwater Bay.
“It’s great to have her afloat again – I’m keen to put that horrible day behind me,” said Mr Geach, who recently made a donation to BARB – the charity that runs the hovercraft – as a ‘thank you’ after September’s incident.
“I was very grateful to the hovercraft crew for helping me. I’m sure I wouldn’t be sailing this boat today if it hadn’t been for their help.”
Roger is pictured boarding his boat at Burnham’s Sailing Club and, above, the stricken boat is shown in the River Brue in September.
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Sunken fishing boat rescued with the help of Burnham’s hovercraft
