Navigating an awkward manoeuvre in a vehicle when someone is watching is always tricky, which might explain why a crew crashed a luxury yacht into a bridge as hundreds of onlookers sunned themselves by the Thames on Sunday.

In footage of the incident, crowds gathered by the bank gasp as the boat repeatedly, and loudly, careers into the side of Richmond Bridge in south-west London.

Strong currents which caused the water levels to rise by up to 7ft have been blamed for the Princess V57 luxury boat, called Victoria, struggling to pass under the bridge.

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Witness Lesley-Anne Berthon told the Mirror: “We saw the boat coming and thought ‘there’s no way he’s getting through in that’.



“There was a man standing on the back trying to gauge the height.

“They tried to reverse and got caught. Every time they tried to move the boat just hit the side of the bridge.”

The craft was considerably damaged and much of its top level was strewn in pieces on the deck, the newspaper reported.

Witnesses said the yacht successfully passed underneath after the river level subsided.

Video courtesy of Monika B