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A man has revealed how his canal boat went up in flames after he let a complete stranger stay there unattended.
James Goring said tragedy struck after a local homeless woman slept onboard while it was moored on water in Hertfordshire.
The continuous cruiser suspects flames erupted after she forgot to close the door to his solid fuel stove.
He also believes a local pub allegedly moving the boat, without his permission, may have contributed to the fire.
Gina Griffiths, 35, a friend of Mr Goring’s, has set up a Go Fund Me fundraiser to help him raise funds to repair the vessel.
She claims pub staff moving the boat may have led a piece of ‘coal’ to fall out and set the galley alight.
Ms Griffiths told MailOnline: ‘We’re not actually sure if it’s the girl that did it or the pub. The boat went up in flames about 20 minutes after it was moved.
‘No one’s really heard from her [the girl] since, I think she’s been hiding. I’m not sure what happens next, I think James is sleeping in his van which is sad.’
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Griffiths said: ‘The boat went up in flames about 20 minutes after it was moved’
A photo taken by the Fire and Rescue Service – which they say shows the state of the boat as they left it
She added the boat had sunk by the time a lot of neighbours had arrived to see the commotion
Recounting the events which took place on Sunday April 20, Ms Griffiths said the boat had gone up in flames ‘pretty quickly’.
She added: ‘It was pretty dramatic and then I think the ropes went out so no one could do anything do put the fire out.
‘We became aware of it in the afternoon. It was all over social media, we just walked across the river.’
Ms Griffiths added: ‘The fire service was called and when we arrived we found the boat had sunk. I feel like everybody got there a little too late.’
The 35-year-old has said she felt ‘shocked’ for her friend.
She added he was a ‘good person’ and this was ‘terribly unlucky circumstance’.
Neighbours are now trying to raise money for Mr Goring, also in his mid-30s, to bring the boat back up to the surface.
Currently, the portable home is said to be ‘unlivable’ as almost all of it is underwater – though there friends of James are still clinging onto hope it could be restored.
Sinking boats is ‘something they do’, according to Ms Griffiths, but normally the water is ‘pumped out afterwards’
Currently, the portable home is said to be ‘unlivable’ as almost all of it is underwater – though there friends of James are still clinging onto hope it could be restored
Neighbours are now trying to raise money for Mr Goring, also in his mid-30s, to bring the boat back up to the surface
Ms Griffiths said: ‘With limited funds to do this himself, we’re hoping as a community to band together and raise as much money as possible to help him get his home back.
‘We’re sourcing quotes for the hire of equipment, as well as from salvage yards and RCR, any monies donated that exceed the costs of getting her raised will go to helping James get back on his feet!
‘The fact he has become homeless from helping others out of that situation is a cruel addition to an unbelievably sad situation.’
A spokesman for Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service said: ‘Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue recently attended reports of a narrowboat already well ablaze on the River Lea. Crews attended and brought the boat back to the bank to prevent the spread of the fire to other boats and property.
‘After ensuring nobody was on board, firefighters tackled the fire and when finally extinguished they secured the badly damaged boat to the riverbank.
‘Upon leaving the boat was afloat and no charges were levied to the boat owners by the fire service.’
