Mike Cadman, Senior Waterways Chaplain for our Broads regional hub speaks movingly of his support for a member of the boating community on the Broads and his family:
“There was a cold winter sun over Barton Broad on the Norfolk Broads as with a friend of boater D we had motored from Stalham to put D’s ashes into the Broad as a mark of respect for him – D had died a few weeks ago. I had supported him for over two and a half years as he lived in his little boat of the Broads looking for some peace and quiet after a challenging life.
D had more than outlived the doctors’s prognosis. A few months ago I found him very poorly in his boat but that time he was alive and taken to hospital and survived. This time sadly was different. On my way to deliver his medication I found D dead in his boat.
The ambulance was called and all the authorities then took over to deal with what was an unexplained death. I had his mother’s contacts as his next of kin and helped out the authorities as much as possible with all the information I had, including providing the formal ID as his family lived over 200 miles away and setting in motion all the funeral arrangements.
Luckily I already knew his mum through phone calls. As the senior chaplains’ training was nearby I was able to visit his mother with a card and flowers and provide support. It was a huge privilege to be able to do that.
When I heard he was to be cremated locally and his ashes just scattered at the crematorium I asked for permission to have them and scatter them in the Broads which he loved and near to where he died. This was agreed and with his friend we had a cold dry morning to pay our final respects to D.
We all love the Broads and I have painted Sunrise over Barton Broad in memory of D and I sent this to his mother as a reminder of D and to help her to overcome her sorrow. His mum was delighted and rang to say so and the painting is now on her wall in her little home.
Losing D was very sad but ‘Coming alongside you’ is so important for everyone Waterways Chaplains meet and we do all to provide support to the needy in every possible way we can”.