Ice damages pontoon for the second time

Huge sheets of ice, some almost a foot thick, caused an estimated 50,000 in damage overnight on Monday, and also gouged a six-inch gash in the side of a rescue vessel.

In January damage to the pontoon led to a 90,000 bill for the rescue organisation, and it looks as though the organisation wil have to find another 50,000 to repair the damage, as well as at least another 13,000 to rent a specilist crane to remove the pontoon, chairman Craig Smyth said this week.

Mr Smyth said ice up to 10 or 12 inches thick, formed at low tide up river, had floated downstream at high tide and was becoming impacted at Craigavon Bridge, and it was this that was now disrupting the life-saving operations of Foyle Search and Rescue teams.

In January the pontoon was so badly damaged it cot 50,000 to remove, repair and reinstate it, Mr Smyth said.

"It takes 6,500 for a crane to come and lift the pontoon off the river and another 6,500 to put it back on again. That dones not include the cost of what damage is done, or what manpower you need to get it fixed," he said, adding: "This year we have already had to take it off the river because the pontoon nearly sank. The ice buckled it and we had to do 50,000 in repairs."

Speaking on Monday afternoon Mr Smyth said the organisation had been out in boats earlier in the day, armed with spades and other implements trying to break up the ice, which at that point stretched from once side of the river to the other.

At that time he said in places the ice was eight to 10 inches thick, and in addition to hitting the ice, they were using the boats to to get out and break it into chunks which could then float way.

However, with temperatures plunging to -13C on Monday night, ice up to 12 inches deep had battered the sides of the pontoon, which had now shifted position, despite being anchored in place, and protective panels had also been broken.

Foyle Search and Rescue will be relying on the Council's pontoon for boat launches. They have two rescue vessels at the Council's pontoon and hope to have the third repaired and back in the water within a week.