Community looks to rally round after Portsmouth man ‘loses everything’ in boat fire

Matthew Baldock, 40, from Portsmouth, decided to start a new life living on the yacht which he had purchased, which was moored off Ferry Road in Southsea. He had taken the decision to move out of the city centre due to an ongoing lung condition and the ‘cleaner air’ by the sea.

Having been enjoying living in his new home for the last two months, disaster struck late on Friday night following a gas leak.

Matthew said: ‘I heard a hissing noise coming from behind the cooker. I had some candles I was using onboard and so I jumped up to put them out but before I knew it the whole thing just ignited.

‘I tried to turn the gas off but by this time it was too late as the fire had taken hold. I spent several minutes trying to put the fire out but in the end I had to jump off the boat.’

He ran to ask for help from a friend on another boat and called the fire service.

‘By the time he got his fire extinguishers I knew it was over,’ said Matthew.

‘The whole boat was engulfed in flames. It was at that point I realised everything was gone and there was no point in panicking and trying to save things anymore,’ he added.

With a history of lung problems, Matthew was taken to Queen Alexandra Hospital where he received treatment for smoke inhalation before being discharged at 6am on Saturday. Having not yet completed the process of insuring the boat, Matthew now faces the task of having ‘to start again’.

‘I have lost everything. My clothes, passport, laptop and tablet were all onboard. I’m also going to have to break her down and it’s going to be a major expense to get her disposed of,’ said Mathew.

Fortunately for Matthew he is not on his own with friends and local support groups rallying round.

He said: ‘I’ve been overwhelmed by how many people have come forward to help and I’ve already been offered temporary places to live.’

One of those friends, Kirsty Gordon, has set up a JustGiving page to help Matthew get back on his feet.

On the page Kirsty wrote: ‘The boat recently became his primary residence and being a relatively new endeavour was not yet insured. His whole life was on this boat and he is now in a bad situation.’

‘He is a very positive person and would always try and help his friends; which is why I have set up this page so we can try and help him during his time of need.’

SEE ALSO: Woman rescued from the water as emergency services attend late-night drama at Gosport Marina

Local community interest group, Victory Hants, have also set up a donation page to help Matthew’s cause.

Chief executive officer, Tina Jacobs, said: ‘He has lost everything. It’s not just about donating money but about getting any support we can from the local community to get him back on his feet.’

Despite his traumatic ordeal, Matthew is trying to remain positive and is hopeful of being able to get another boat in the same area.

He said: ‘I don’t like to ask for help but ideally I’d love to get another boat down here. I love living here – it’s the first time in years that I haven’t suffered from pain in my lungs. At least I’m alive. If I had been asleep when the fire started then it could have been a very different story.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.