Canal Boat Owner Reports Total Loss Following Fire

A canal boat owner reported “losing everything” after his vessel was destroyed by fire shortly before Christmas. George Pedley’s houseboat, situated on the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal in Frampton on Severn, caught fire on 6 December. He suspects the blaze originated from the ignition of a fuel and gas bottle stored on the boat. While Mr. Pedley possessed boat insurance, he estimated the value of uninsured contents lost in the fire to be between £25,000 and £30,000. “I’m just taking it one day at a time at the moment, every minute of the day is consumed by this loss,” he stated. Mr. Pedley was away for the evening when he was notified by phone that his boat was ablaze. He recounted, “By bystanders’ accounts, it went up pretty quickly and they don’t think I would have got out if I was on there, if you want to look at a silver lining.” “You never really contemplate losing absolutely everything, like clothes, toiletries, and shoes,” he further commented. Following the incident, Mr. Pedley mentioned receiving assistance from “very generous” friends, who provided him with financial aid, temporary accommodation on their sofas, clothing, a sleeping bag, and blankets. Mr. Pedley characterized his adjacent boat owners as “lovely.” He noted, “The only thing that was left was a dinghy and [a neighbour] has made sure that’s been put safe.” “I have spoken to a few people and they’ve all said if I need any help to just let them know,” he added. Mr. Pedley intends to raise £2,500 to help replace the possessions lost in the blaze. Readers can follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. This content is Copyright 2024 BBC, with all rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites and provides information on its approach to external linking.