Inquest, deceased boater on G&S named

[keble]

The boater found dead in G&S just before Christmas has been named:

http://www.stroudlife.co.uk/Saul-man-61-drowned-canal-inquest-hears/story-25797073-detail/story.html

 

He was known locally as Scraggy, a really fine gentleman, chimney sweep, musician.

 

[craftycarper]

The boater found dead in G&S just before Christmas has been named:

http://www.stroudlife.co.uk/Saul-man-61-drowned-canal-inquest-hears/story-25797073-detail/story.html

 

He was known locally as Scraggy, a really fine gentleman, chimney sweep, musician.

 

wow bad news is that the guy with the little navy blue vw van in Saul marina ?

[blackrose]

Every winter we hear stories of boaters being found dead in the water. I don't know if this applies to Mr Gardner, so apologies in advance if I've got this wrong, but since the article states that he drowned after a night out, it's difficult not to suspect that alcohol was involved.

 

Getting drunk and boats really don't mix, especially in winter when your survival time in the water could be measured in minutes. Last summer a neighbour of mine pulled a bloke on a plastic boat out of the marina basin in the middle of the night. I must have been in a very deep sleep because I didn't hear the commotion, but apparently the guy had fallen in while trying to take a piss off the boat and had been in the water for about 20 minutes. He was too drunk to pull himself out and his dad was so drunk that he'd passed out in the boat and couldn't hear his son shouting for help outside. Fortunately the water was relatively warm otherwise he'd have been dead.

 

If you're out drinking with single boaters and they look a bit wobbly, it might be a good idea to walk them back to their boat and make sure they're ok before leaving them.

Edited January 17, 2015 by blackrose

[sueb]

I walked a drunk friend back to his boat one night. As soon as my back was turned he got off to have a pee. Luckily he got back again safely

[keble]

wow bad news is that the guy with the little navy blue vw van in Saul marina ?

No, he moored on the canal AFAIK

 

Every winter we hear stories of boaters being found dead in the water. I don't know if this applies to Mr Gardner, so apologies in advance if I've got this wrong, but since the article states that he drowned after a night out, it's difficult not to suspect that alcohol was involved.

 

Getting drunk and boats really don't mix, especially in winter when your survival time in the water could be measured in minutes. Last summer a neighbour of mine pulled a bloke on a plastic boat out of the marina basin in the middle of the night. I must have been in a very deep sleep because I didn't hear the commotion, but apparently the guy had fallen in while trying to take a piss off the boat and had been in the water for about 20 minutes. He was too drunk to pull himself out and his dad was so drunk that he'd passed out in the boat and couldn't hear his son shouting for help outside. Fortunately the water was relatively warm otherwise he'd have been dead.

 

If you're out drinking with single boaters and they look a bit wobbly, it might be a good idea to walk them back to their boat and make sure they're ok before leaving them.

Gotta agree with you there.

[keble]

Inquest report here: http://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/archive/2015/02/25/11816792.A_popular_Saul_boatman_drowned_in_the_Sharpness_Canal_after_a_drinking_session___leaving_his_four_legged_companion_on_the_towpath/

 

 

Sadly he had a lot of alcohol (279 mg per 100 ml), and it was a very cold night.

Edited February 26, 2015 by keble

[PaulG]

I first met Scraggy a few years ago. We were moored up near Frampton, and I was lying on the bed reading a book when I heard a lot of shouting coming from behind our boat. I asked the OH what was going on, and she said there was a boat load of drunken blokes mooring up behind us.

I had a look though the stern doors a few minutes later to see what was going on - they'd evidently dropped something in the drink, as one guy was trying to reach down to water level while another guy held his other hand. You didn't need to be Mystic Meg to see how this was going to end, so I went back to my book. Inevitably there was a shout and a splash a few minutes later. I continued reading my book.

It must have been 10 minutes later that I realised that I could still hear someone splashing around in the water behind my boat.

I popped out and asked him if he was OK, and he asked if I could help him out of the canal, which I did (The G&S is deep and the piling is high).

As I did this, one of the guys (later identified as Scraggy) said "We were going to leave the stupid c*nt in there a bit longer". Apparently he'd grabbed one of the support wires for their wind generator to try and stop himself from falling in, and had broken it in the process, incurring the wrath of Scraggy.

I made a temporary repair to the wire with a couple of bulldog clips, for which he was very grateful, and invited the OH and me to supper - "we're having pheasant curry." I suspected that they were having something "pheasant based" as I'd already spotted the unfortunate bird still in its' feathers by their kitchen window. I politely declined as the origin of the bird was in doubt.

Later on we met him at the Three Horseshoes, and he insisted on buying me a pint. He'd brought a guitar along and he entertained the locals by sitting outside the pub playing it and singing.

Thoroughly nice bloke and I'm really sad to hear that he's gone.