The captain of a party boat that sank in the River Thames amid flooding across London said he is feeling "terrible" as he searches for a new job to support his family.
Jorge Gallardo, who owned the business on the Bar&Co vessel, had been running it for 15 years before it went down while moored at Temple on Thursday.
The boat, named Wilfred, had televisions on board, a fully licensed bar, a restaurant and a nightclub.
Known as the "floating bar rocking the Thames", it could serve up to 125 partygoers until 3am.
Mr Gallardo told The Independent how he heard the vessel was sinking at around midday when a crew member rushed to where it was docked but "the boat couldn’t be saved".
He said: "It was always my dream to own a boat like this in London.
"It was successful I put all my savings and energy into it. But I’m not the owner of the boat so I don’t get any insurance pay-out.
"I’m going to need help. Now I’m a single parent with a seven-year-old daughter and no income. I feel terrible."
Earlier on Friday, a spokesman for the Bar & Co boat said: "Likely it sunk because of weather conditions."
An HM Coastguard spokesman said: "A restaurant vessel sank at Temple Pier in London on January 4.
"The alarm was raised at about 12.30pm and everyone is accounted for."
The Port of London Authority has advised vessels to pass Temple Pier with "great caution".
The capital was battered by a deluge on Thursday, amid a yellow weather warning for rain issued by the Met Office across south-east England.
A canal burst its banks in Hackney Wick and 50 people were led to safety, after water flooded 10 acres of land in the area.
Firefighters carried out welfare checks on around 100 people who were able to remain in their unaffected properties.
One resident told the Standard how she returned to her flat to find herself up to her knees in water.
Simone said: "I was in the gym and I came back to my flat. It was up to my knee-high. It was crazy. I can't say for now about the extent of the damage.
“This is the first time it has happened. But I need to rush to work and do a shift before I can come home and clean."
Experts are warning the impact of surface water and river flooding will continue to be "significant" across parts of England following the heavy rainfall.
