Attacked by an Angler

[cotswoldsman]

Follows me down Towpath and I start taking photos

Hood comes up

Ready with another branch hood blown down

Coming down Gunnel of boat then he saw I had a knife

 

Violent Angler
Ok here is what happened to me yesterday. I was cruising from Northwich to Middlewich it was quite windy. When I arrived at the flashes there were a number of boats moored and the wind was even higher so I slowed down not tickover as that would have blown me against the boats. I passed a couple of anglers and they were to say the least very abusive as they thought I was not going slow enough!! Next thing one of them followed me up the towpath and started throwing stones and branches at me not just the boat. I started taking photos of him so up came the hood. Slight problem the wind blew it down when he turned to throw another stick. As I rounded the next bend slightly to close to towpath he jumped onto my boat and started coming down the gunnel towards me you can see a bad photo of him coming towards me stick in hand. At this stage I panicked and did something rather worrying and maybe stupid. I dived into my kitchen (Reverse layout) and grabbed a carving knife the worrying part was had he come closer I would have used it. He then went back along the gunnel threatened to smash my Solar Panels I reminded him I had him on camera so I pulled close to the towpath and he jumped off. All quite frightening!!!

Edited May 13, 2013 by cotswoldsman

[Guest]

This ape needs reporting to the police......

[LEO]

Hi,

 

Angler or yobbo?, dreadful behaviour, good pics.

 

Leo.

[Naughty Cal]

Blimey! I hope you have reported him.

 

Also hope that you are alright. Must have been a very scary experience to say the least.

[carlt]

I shall put my "Be nice to them and they'll be nice back." philosophy to one side for one moment.

 

Because I have travelled single handed for much of my boating life I find leaving a mooring stake handy on the roof so I don't have to go hunting in the locker, when I need to moor up is a good idea.

 

Alternatively I would have steered well away from the towpath and dialled 999 loudly informing the police what was happening, where I was and where the next road bridge was, where they could meet me.

 

The yob would then have a choice of taking me on (his stick versus whatever I had to hand to reasonably defend myself with), stay on the boat until the next bridgehole or go for a swim.

[twinpot]

Take the photos to the police,the next boater may not be so lucky.also he has boarded your boat with a weapon so you have every right to defend yourself.

[jenlyn]

I shall put my "Be nice to them and they'll be nice back." philosophy to one side for one moment.

 

Because I have travelled single handed for much of my boating life I find leaving a mooring stake handy on the roof so I don't have to go hunting in the locker, when I need to moor up is a good idea.

 

Alternatively I would have steered well away from the towpath and dialled 999 loudly informing the police what was happening, where I was and where the next road bridge was, where they could meet me.

 

The yob would then have a choice of taking me on (his stick versus whatever I had to hand to reasonably defend myself with), stay on the boat until the next bridgehole or go for a swim.

A rational afterthought. :-)

[nicknorman]

Very nasty and I guess you are shaken by it. I'm sure you will have reported it, do let us know what the police have to say about it.

[cotswoldsman]

Yes Carl trouble is at the time I was a bit panicked. I do have a mooring pin with me at the back and never thought of it until afterwards. Since this has happened I have though of lots of things I should have done but a mixture of fright and age caught me out

[Chris Pink]

John, you must must must report this to the police, less in the spirit of wanting this geezer brought to book and more that a word is had with him that it's unacceptable behaviour.

 

The angling will also be controlled by an angling association please complain to them.

 

and CRT who will authorise that association's use of that water.

 

Thank de lordy for camera phones eh?

[Ray T]

John, what you did was not stupid, it was done in a worrying heat of the moment.

 

Many years ago about 6 months after my first wife had died I took my youngest daughter (14yrs ) and my son (12yrs) at the time, on a Shire Cruiser up the Rochdale.

At the guillotine lock at Todmorden a well set bloke about 25ish asked if he could have a lift "round the corner". I said "no" but he stepped on the gunwale at the bow.

 

What do you do? I am only 5' 4" and he was somewhat bigger than me. A narrow boat is not exactly a vehicle with which I could have perhaps pushed him in the water and made a quick get away!

I was imagining all sorts of things: my daughter being raped, my son and my self being beaten up.

 

This was before the days of mobile phones being in common use.

 

After helping us with several locks I persuaded him to leave us and we went on with our journey. This incident did however ruin the holiday for me because it made me realise how vulnerable we were.

 

A couple of weeks later I did a "Personal Protection" course run by my employer. I discussed this episode with the tutor and said I had not felt very macho in protecting my children.

He said "forget Hollywood and whatever you see on the television, you were successful in diffusing the situation and no one was physically hurt".

 

So do not beat yourself up for your reactions. You got photos so as others have suggested report the incident to the police and the angling club.

 

PS go and have a stiff drink, the sun is over the yard arm.

Edited May 13, 2013 by Ray T

[Dave_P]

Awful! Hope you're ok John. As other's have said, this needs reporting to the police. Unauthorised access onto your boat, with a weapon and the intent to use it is a criminal offence. Simple as that.

 

If this knuckle-dragging bottom-feeder gets away with this, he could well go further next time.

[greywolf]

Very scary . I think you were perfectly justified in arming yourself as he had shown willing to hurt you from a distance throwing stones and sticks i would imagine counts as assult and his companion not interveing is just as reprehensible.might add weight to things if you also photograph any damage caused to your boat as well. Hope thing go well from now on.

[mrsmelly]

Oy John

 

Did you not have Stan in convoy? one look at him would have scared the shite off for good

 

Tim

[nb Innisfree]

Who knows what the outcome would have been if you hadn't picked up the knife? It could have ended with someone in the water with tragic results. Unfortunately potentially violent incidents sometimes have to be met with the same, he was clearly wanting to attack you, not just threatening you to affect a robbery. Personally I would have had him with a mooring chain I always have at hand.

[Theo]

Makes you realise how vulnerable you are! Thank Goodness that the overwhelming majority of folks are happy to see, or at least, tolerant of boats.

 

N

[cotswoldsman]

Oy John

 

Did you not have Stan in convoy? one look at him would have scared the shite off for good

 

Tim

Nah Stan unknown to me had stopped earlier to chat to someone he knew so was well behind. I did phone him and warn him to be careful. Not sure what might have happened if he had done this to Stan who is 77 and as you know very placid and laid back

 

John, you must must must report this to the police, less in the spirit of wanting this geezer brought to book and more that a word is had with him that it's unacceptable behaviour.

 

The angling will also be controlled by an angling association please complain to them.

 

and CRT who will authorise that association's use of that water.

 

Thank de lordy for camera phones eh?

I think you are right.

Oh welcome back seems like some have missed you!!!

[mrsmelly]

Nah Stan unknown to me had stopped earlier to chat to someone he knew so was well behind. I did phone him and warn him to be careful. Not sure what might have happened if he had done this to Stan who is 77 and as you know very placid and laid back

Hi John

 

Yes joking apart that could have been a nasty incident, its hard to tell if the yob was on drugs or drunk etc from a distance. The only thing i would say to anyone reading this thread is what was instilled into every young bobby including myself during training was that if we ever had to draw our truncheon from our pocket was to use it and remember you have to know your ability as if he had taken the knife off you ( or truncheon ) in my and other bobbys case then it could well be used against you with potentialy fatal consequences. Its a hard call to have to make.

 

Tim

[carlt]

Yes Carl trouble is at the time I was a bit panicked. I do have a mooring pin with me at the back and never thought of it until afterwards. Since this has happened I have though of lots of things I should have done but a mixture of fright and age caught me out

Sorry John I wasn't intending to lecture you or even suggest that your actions were incorrect, in the heat of the moment, just suggesting a possible course of action for people in a similar situation, in the future.

 

When considering the use of weapons,however, it is worth considering the experience I once had with a boater.

 

I was on the towpath and saw a guy struggling to get his boat to the bank in high winds so I suggested he throw me a rope and I'll help him.

 

He threw me his stern in and I pulled him in to the bank, let go of the line and held the handrail while he could hammer in his stakes and tie off.

 

Unfortunately a gust of wind pushed the boat away from the bank so he hopped onto his back deck and I had the choice of letting go of the handrail and falling into the cut or leaping for his gunwales and, not surprisingly, I chose the latter.

 

At this point things turned strange and he started screaming at me to get off his boat and I explained to him that I had no wish to be there and if he reversed towards the towpath I'd just hop off whereupon he calmed down and agreed this course of action.

 

As I prepared to jump off his back deck I was unaware that he had taken off his brass tiller bar and, just before I jumped, he started beating me around the back of the head with it. I disarmed him and threw the tiller into the cut and managed to get off the boat covered in blood.

 

To this day I don't understand how the incident turned from me helping someone out to a dozen stitches and severe concussion.

[little duck!]

I was just thinking that maybe this is worth reporting to the local press as he may be known to others in the area, of course i'm not sure if this would have any legal ramifications (maybe someone who knows can advise) but it would be good if this "man" could be named and shamed and hopefully prosecuted.

[nb Innisfree]

Sorry John I wasn't intending to lecture you or even suggest that your actions were incorrect, in the heat of the moment, just suggesting a possible course of action for people in a similar situation, in the future.

 

When considering the use of weapons,however, it is worth considering the experience I once had with a boater.

 

I was on the towpath and saw a guy struggling to get his boat to the bank in high winds so I suggested he throw me a rope and I'll help him.

 

He threw me his stern in and I pulled him in to the bank, let go of the line and held the handrail while he could hammer in his stakes and tie off.

 

Unfortunately a gust of wind pushed the boat away from the bank so he hopped onto his back deck and I had the choice of letting go of the handrail and falling into the cut or leaping for his gunwales and, not surprisingly, I chose the latter.

 

At this point things turned strange and he started screaming at me to get off his boat and I explained to him that I had no wish to be there and if he reversed towards the towpath I'd just hop off whereupon he calmed down and agreed this course of action.

 

As I prepared to jump off his back deck I was unaware that he had taken off his brass tiller bar and, just before I jumped, he started beating me around the back of the head with it. I disarmed him and threw the tiller into the cut and managed to get off the boat covered in blood.

 

To this day I don't understand how the incident turned from me helping someone out to a dozen stitches and severe concussion.

He maybe thought you had pushed the boat away to enable you to mug him or something, in unusual circumstances people can misinterpret action and body language. I often offer to help people in various circumstances which generally is quite unusual behaviour as most folk tend to stay back, but I do come across the odd ones who don't take too kindly to it, perhaps being suspicious of the unusual action of a stranger offering help, they don't understand philanthropy (if that's the right word!) Some you win and some you lose Edited May 13, 2013 by nb Innisfree

[Kwacker]

If news reports are to be believed, as soon as you mention your use of the knife to the police, they will become more interested in you than him.

I sincerely hope that you never experience the like again.

[carlt]

He maybe thought you had pushed the boat away to enable you to mug him or something, in unusual circumstances people can misinterpret action and body language.

Extremely doubtful as I had offered to help which he had seemingly accepted gratefully, was chatting amiably to him as I held his boat for him and he was completely calm when he agreed to reverse back to the bank to let me get off.

 

There were no unusual circumstances other than me inadvertently getting on the boat of a complete psycho.

[Dekazer]

Sorry to hear you encountered a thug. What an oik.

 

I would second people's suggestions to contact the police. Although it's unlikely to come result in action being taken on your incident, the police will keep a log of incidents. If they spot a pattern of incidents on the towpath in that area, they can look into 'disruptive' activity, such as regular patrols.

 

I hope today is a more pleasant day

[MtB]

Blimey that's scary.

 

Sounds to me as though they weren't so much anglers as wasters looking for trouble hassling boaters, and fishing whilst waiting for the next boat to come along. I doubt they genuinely thought you were going too slow, it was just a gambit to open hostilities. They could just as easily have criticised you for going too fast.

 

Getting on the boat also suggests a high degree of confidence having probably done the same thing before a few times already. Let's hope the police take it seriously, but I doubt they will.

 

 

MtB