Hammersmith Bridge was forced to close for 40 minutes last night after a collision with a party boat.
The suspension bridge was shut after the Golden Sunrise’s radio aerial made contact at 10.40pm yesterday when it was high tide.
Police boarded the 200-man vessel after a call from the public who feared there had been a crash. However after determining there had been no damage to the bridge it was reopened to traffic.
The owners of the boat say there was no damage to the vessel or any danger to those on board.
A bus passenger, who got caught up in the travel chaos when the bridge was closed, told the Standard: “The police got a call from someone saying the boat had hit the bridge. It sounds like the boat tried to go under the inside arch, failed, and then came under the middle.
“The bridge was closed to traffic and pedestrians. Our bus eventually went over Chiswick Bridge.”
The boat, owned by Capital Pleasure Boats based in Orpington, is believed to have been hosting a party for scientists.
Suzanne Dash, a research assistant at the University of Sussex, tweeted from the Golden Sunrise: “Said boat is stuck on the Thames and can’t get under a bridge. The police have arrived... Time to swim?
“Well, they had to close off both ends of the bridge with police cars but we’re through! Full speed ahead.”
A police spokesman said: “Marine police unit
officers attended and established that the high tide had caused the aerial of
the vessel to come into contact with the underside of the bridge.
"There was no damage caused to the bridge or the vessel. No arrests were made."
