A tragic incident occurred on Christmas Day as a man and his service dog lost their lives in a fire on a canal barge. The emergency response was swift, with crews arriving at the Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Crooke Marina in Standish around 3.30am on December 25.
According to a spokesperson from Greater Manchester Police, authorities received reports of a fire on a canal boat at Crooke Hall Moorings, Standish, at the same time. Tragically, the man and his service dog were found deceased on the boat. Formal identification of the victim is pending as investigations continue at the scene.
The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service reported that firefighters spent approximately thirteen hours dealing with the incident. The response included three fire engines from Wigan and Hindley, along with support units from Leigh and Eccles, who attended the scene on Crooke Road, Wigan.
Crooke Hall Moorings, situated on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Crooke village near the Crooke Hall Inn, offer a private marina for up to 90 boats and a canal-side pub with visitor moorings, as per the Manchester Evening News. The village, located around three miles from Wigan town centre, enjoys a picturesque setting at the bend of the River Douglas.