Dorset family 'exposed to elements' as hatch blows off London Eye pod 400ft in air
A man from Boscombe has been describing the 'terrifying' moment his pod blew open on the London Eye
Last updated 4th Jan 2024
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, who were visiting from Australia, 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.
Mr Nock told us: “When we reached the zenith, the Eye stopped for a good few minutes and the wind became really quite ferocious.
“If you looked down, you could see the whole structure moving and flexing, not just the pod.
“At that point, I heard a huge clunk and ripping sound… I looked up and I saw the top hatch of the pod we were on get ripped off.
The only thing preventing the hatch from hurtling 400 feet to the ground were emergency cables holding it in place, Mr Nock said.
He described the experience as slightly nerve-racking: “When you see parts falling off, you start to question the integrity of the pod itself and what else might go wrong.
“In that situation, your mind does race a bit, you start thinking of the worst-case scenario and try to plot what your escape plan might be.”
According to the IT business owner said he tried to “remain calm” and “not worry people too much” but some members of the public were “clearly distressed”.
“There was one guy sat staring at the floor, looking a little shell-shocked and sort of praying under his breath. I asked if he was alright and he shook his head, clearly not enjoying the process,” Mr Nock added.
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.