FIRE crews spent almost an hour on Thursday night rescuing a narrow boat from sinking at Hartford Marina in Huntingdon. One pump and a rescue vehicle from Huntingdon fire station were called at 7.30pm to find one third of a 40ft narrow boat, moored at the

FIRE crews spent almost an hour on Thursday night rescuing a narrow boat from sinking at Hartford Marina in Huntingdon.

One pump and a rescue vehicle from Huntingdon fire station were called at 7.30pm to find one third of a 40ft narrow boat, moored at the marina, under water.

The engine compartment was flooded and the passenger compartment was partly flooded.

The crews pumped the water out the boat and started to raise the submerged section of the boat.

After about an hour, the crews managed to remove nearly all of the water and the boat was back afloat.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The cause of the sinkage was small amounts of water that had splashed into the air vents and pooled in the engine compartment.

"After a build up of time this caused the rear of the boat to lower and list to one side.

As the vents lowered below the water level, this caused an in-rush of water and the boat began to sink."

Despite the boat being saved, the fire service said there was severe water damage to the inside of the boat and the owners' belongings.