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

The London Eye has confirmed that no guests were injured after a hatch was "ripped off" one of their pods.

Pedestrians holding Union Jack umbrellas walk in the rain past the London Eye in central London on December 19, 2023.

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.

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 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.

“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.”