Investigation underway as man and dog found dead on canal boat after fire

Rescue teams are working with Stafford police, after a man was found dead on a canal boat following a fire.

Firefighters and police were called out on Friday morning (24 February) to recover a burnt-out boat on the Shropshire Union Canal, moored between Penkridge and Wolverhampton.

First responders were on the scene at 2.43am and once the blaze was extinguished around 5am, sadly a male body was discovered and a dead dog was found on the nearby towpath.

Police called upon the River Canal Rescue to put together an emergency team to recover the wreckage and preserve the evidence for forensic examination. On arrival, the RCR team assessed the location and vessel situation, but due to the severity of the blaze, pumping out the vessel was not an option.

RCR instead opted to attempt to use airbags, compressors and lines to try and right the vessel before trying to raise it. Anti-pollution boons were positioned nearby to contain any spills.

RCR managing director, Stephanie Horton, comments: “This is a very delicate job and we’re working to preserve as much of the boat and its contents as possible so the police and fire brigade can try and piece together what happened.

“Our thoughts at this time are with the relatives of the deceased and anyone associated with the dog.”

The burned-out boat was lifted out of the canal on Saturday, with police confirming that work to identify the man is underway.

The man’s death is currently being treated as unexplained and an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.