The man behind Spalding Water Taxi has called for people to take more care of the area’s waterways after one of the boats was damaged by a mattress that been dumped in the river.
Anthony Grunwell says one of the four boats that this year is being rented out to the public is currently out of order as a result of the damage.
A member of the public was using the boat near the Chain Bridge when it hit the mattress which had seemingly been in the water for a long period.
By coincidence Anthony’s nephew James Grunwell, who is an experienced deep sea diver was stopping with him in Spalding at the time and was able to free the mattress.
”If it wasn’t for him it’d still be there,” Anthony said. “It took four of us to lift it out because of how heavy it had got through water.
“We should all do our bit to keep the waterways around Spalding clean, not just dump rubbish and ensure it’s other people’s problems.
“We’re down to three boats and we have lost money as a result.”
Anthony says it’s not the first time he’s had to rescue boats from fly-tipped rubbish and that he once lost his dad’s wedding ring clearing some from the water.
“People should just stop dumping items,” he said. “It’s bad for the environment and bad for the community as a whole.”
Pictured right: The mattress taken out of the water that left one of the Spalding Water Taxi fleet out of action.
