Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Family ‘exposed to elements’ when hatch blows off London Eye pod 400ft in air

A spokesperson for the London Eye said that there had been an ‘isolated technical issue’ during Storm Henk.

Joseph Draper
Wednesday 03 January 2024 09:48 EST
The London Eye was hit by strong winds (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
The London Eye was hit by strong winds (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Archive)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A family was left “exposed to the elements” more than 400ft in the air when strong winds “ripped the hatch” off their London Eye pod.

David Nock, from Bournemouth, Dorset, was on a trip to the capital with his family when Storm Henk swept across the city on Tuesday.

They expected the London Eye to be the “highlight of their trip” but their excitement turned to anxiety when a powerful gust tore away their hatch at the top of the ride.

The wind starting playing hooley and ripped the emergency hatch off the top of the pod with a big crash. Obviously we're exposed to the elements. It was nerve-racking

David Nock

Mr Nock, 43, told the PA news agency that the Eye began “flexing” on the way up and that it kept stop-starting as it struggled with the wind.

The observation wheel came to a total halt and “wasn’t going anywhere” at the top, he said, leaving him and his family of 11 stranded for five minutes.

The only thing preventing the hatch from hurtling 400 feet to the ground were emergency cables holding it in place, Mr Nock said.

The IT business owner said: “The wind starting playing hooley and ripped the emergency hatch off the top of the pod with a big crash.

“Obviously we’re exposed to the elements. It was nerve-racking.

“When you’ve got your whole family up there it makes you slightly anxious – you start to question the integrity of the pod itself and what else might go wrong.

“Our other concern was that, if the hatch detaches, you’ve got a large object 130m up flying through the air and it could hit someone.

“The whole Eye was flexing at one point – and I did wonder whether they were stopping and starting because the wheels that rotate it weren’t getting traction.

Due to disruption from adverse weather conditions yesterday, we took the decision to close the lastminute.com London Eye for a brief period. We can confirm that no parts of the pod detached from the main structure and that no guests were injured

London Eye

“Equally on the way down there were stops and starts and then the hatch started crunching and squishing into the mechanism – that’s when I said, right, I’m going to push the emergency button.”

A spokesperson for the London Eye told PA that following an “isolated technical issue”, they “immediately ensured that guests safely disembarked”.

They said: “Due to disruption from adverse weather conditions yesterday, we took the decision to close the lastminute.com London Eye for a brief period.

“We can confirm that no parts of the pod detached from the main structure and that no guests were injured.”

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in