A WOMAN was rescued from a canal boat after it became wedged in a lock and started filling with water.

Fire service and British Waterways workers rescued the woman from the boat which became stuck in Barrowford Locks on Tuesday afternoon.

The canal boat, Electric Blue, had started to sink when Susan Pierce, 65, from Formby, was helped off the narrowboat by fire crews.

She was treated at the scene for shock by paramedics.

Jim Swindells, British Waterways' maintenance supervisor for the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, said the woman's husband, John, had gone to the next lock to open it at the time of the incident.

He said: "The boat drifted across and became wedged on the stone work.

"It had started to sink and because of the delay in her husband coming back it had taken on a lot of water."

After the boat had started to sink in six feet of water fireman and British Waterway workers used a pump and an airbag to free the boat in a two-hour operation.

Mr Swindells added: "The boat did sink under water but there was not a lot of water.

"However it is still frightening if you are on the boat.

"She was at the back of the boat where she was standing in the water."

Fire services used a ladder to rescue Mrs Pierce..

Watch Manager for Nelson Fire Station Nick Clough said: "It took us about two hours to get the boat free from the gate.

"The lady in the boat got off because the water levels had dropped substantially so we had to send a ladder down to get her off the boat.

"The lady co-owned the boat and had experience of canal boats.

"But even so it was a situation which could have been life threatening and we had to act quickly."

Mr Swindells said this had been an unfortunate accident, adding: "If you open the locks safely at a relaxed pace they are safe. However this was just an accident."

All the water has been pumped from the boat and it is fully operational, he added.