A man whose canal boat sank while he was sleeping on board has revealed his lucky escape – warning others buying barges.
Arthur Coleman Cross lost his entire livelihood when his 3,500 pound boat sank in a canal in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, last week.
Coleman Cross, who had lived on the barge for three years, had a few drinks and took a nap when he woke up to the sound of water gushing.
The water quickly reached chest height and a chair blocked the boat door on the Batchworth Lock Canal, trapping a 69-year-old man and his dog Rattie.
The boat’s drainage system filled up with rainwater and quickly filled up.
Fortunately for Coleman-Cross, a neighbor saw the boat sink and called the fire brigade immediately.
What was left behind were clothes, a cell phone, and a wallet containing cash cards and identification documents.
A retired building services engineer told MailOnline: “When I was on the boat, I heard water coming in and I was wondering where all that water was.”
“Then I noticed water and tried to get out, but the chair was blocking the door. If it wasn’t for Glenn, I would have died.
“I was stuck there, the water was up to my chest. I should have put more weight on the back of the deck to lift it up so the water wouldn’t get in. My whole life was on that boat. I stayed inside and lost everything.”
A 69-year-old man was trapped inside the boat and had to be rescued by firefighters.
“I love boats and I love being in the water. You’re on your own, but you’re with people at the same time,” Coleman-Cross said.
Arthur Coleman Cross (pictured) lost his entire livelihood when the 3,500-pound boat he had lived in for more than three years sank.
Since the accident, a GoFundMe has been set up to help him rebuild his life, with £4,800 of the £5,000 target raised in 24 hours.
Coleman Cross has lived on a boat for 26 years. He made the decision soon after his divorce and his ex-girlfriend convinced him that she wanted to move in with him.
“I love boats and I love being in the water. You’re on your own, but at the same time you’re with people. “Everyone knows you,” he said, “and I love being in the water. If you’re in trouble, everyone will help you. It’s very much a community.”
“When I went on trips, I used to run my boat scouting. Then I met a girl who was pretty depressed and said she wanted to live on a boat, so I said, ‘Well, let’s do it.’ I said, “Let’s take a look.” But he still didn’t turn around. ”
Four years ago he bought the boat for £3,500 and made it his home, but his dream life almost ended last Thursday.
His friend Glenn, or Top Hat Glenn as his friends call him, was on his boat when he noticed debris floating on the water.
Four years ago he bought the boat for £3,500 and made it his home, but his dream life almost ended last Thursday.
Up to four pumps were used to pump the barge out of the canal
Before the pandemic, the songwriter and singer played pubs, bars and even local festivals with a folk band called The Sitting Ducks of Bucks.
The 63-year-old said: “There was a lot going on. We knew it wasn’t normal, we thought we should walk down because it looked like a sunken ship. So I walked down and… , I realized it was Arthur’s.
“I was knocking on the door and I could see the candle still burning. I looked inside and saw the candle, but there was no response from Arthur, so unless he was dead there We imagined a worse situation.
“I got completely emotional and went up to the roof to see if he was there and we heard him. He was trapped at that point and couldn’t get out. did.”
Coleman-Cross said he heard water coming in but didn’t know where it was coming from.
He said, “I’m really grateful to Glenn. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here.”
The boat owner was rescued by firefighters and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Glenn, or Top Hat Glenn as he was called by his friends, was left thinking that Mr. Coleman Cross had died.
Four pumps are used to pump water from boats in the canal
“Somebody had to do something,” said David Wilson, 55, who set up a fundraiser for Coleman Cross.
He had some advice for people buying barges for moving. Those were two words: “Ask for advice.”
He goes on to say, “There are a lot of things you can’t put on a boat. When you get on the boat, you realize you have a lot of stuff, but there’s not enough space, so you have to strip everything down to the essentials.” ” he added. ‘
After the incident, many who knew Arthur wanted to help him, including David Wilson, 55.
“I know Arthur and couldn’t bear the thought of him losing everything just before Christmas. We always chat to him when we go walking the dog, but… I thought someone had to do something.
“Saturday morning I joined the GoFundMe, I had never done anything like that before so I just wrote it up and set a target of £5,000.
“I shared it with my friends, then with other community groups, and within the next day I was closer to my goal. I was having lunch on Sunday and I started getting emotional.”
On Wednesday, a team attempted to pump out a boat to retrieve some of his belongings. Coleman Cross is currently staying on a friend’s boat until he can find shelter.
“Everything I had was there,” he said, weeping as he watched the water being pumped out. All my life, I have nothing else. ”
Mark Barber, deputy chief fire officer at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Especially at this time of year when water levels are high, the water can be fast moving and very cold, making people trapped in the water. “It can be very dangerous.”
“Our firefighters are professionally equipped and trained to rescue people from water. We are very pleased that our crews were able to safely extract this gentleman.”