Onlookers laughed as million-pound yacht crashed into bridge on the River Thames

A luxury yacht owner got stuck on the Thames in front of hundreds of people enjoying the sun on Sunday afternoon. A crowd of onlookers watched as The Victoria, thought to be worth at least £1million, collided with Richmond Bridge in south-west London.

Strong currents were blamed as the river tide came in quickly and the water levels rose by up to 7ft. Witness Lesley-Anne Berthon said: “We saw the boat coming and thought ‘there’s no way he’s getting through in that’.


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“There was a man standing on the back trying to gauge the height. They tried to reverse and got caught. Every time they tried to move the boat just hit the side of the bridge.” The crew’s misfortune attracted little sympathy from crowds lining the banks.

Lesley-Anne said: “Some people were jeering. People were laughing at him.” The vessel suffered considerable damage with much of the top level ending up in pieces on the deck. The Victoria later managed to float free when the river level subsided under the bridge.