Thames pleasure boat scare

Six crewmembers were safely evacuated from a Thames pleasure boat after it hit Westminster Bridge and was in danger of sinking.

The 30-metre long ‘Millennium City', which can seat up to 500 people with two bars and an open top deck, was not carrying passengers at the time, but lifeboats, a fire service boat, and police boats rushed to its aid. The stricken vessel was towed to nearby Westminster Pier where firefighters used pumps to control the ingress of water, by then two metres deep, and successfully seal the engine room. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Marine Support Unit said this morning that Millennium City was no longer in any danger and is now moored awaiting repairs. All six crewmembers on board the river cruiser were safely evacuated by the RNLI after the collision. The Metropolitan Police's Marine Support Unit attended the incident and no arrests were made. It is not known if any of the crew will face charges relating to the collision.
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