Enniskillen boat owner devastated after morning blaze

THERE have been calls for increased shoreline security and surveillance, after a local man’s beloved boat was destroyed in a fire.
The owner, John Carty, who often sleeps onboard the boat which is moored at Kilmacormick, was alerted by a neighbour at 5am last Tuesday (August 5) to find flames engulfing the vessel he had pulled tightly onto the shore for safety during recent storms.
Despite managing to extinguish the fire within 10 minutes, the emotional and personal damage runs far deeper.
John, who believes the blaze was started deliberately, had stayed on the boat just days earlier and is struggling to come to terms with what could have happened.
“I slept in it on Saturday night and I slept in it the last week. I am still in shock, they are lucky the whole shoreline didn’t go up,” he said.
“People have to realise I slept in that on Saturday night. I cant get over it. I am still in shock, this could of been me lying in there with the wee dog or anything.
“It could have been an awful atrocity along that shore because there is loads of new boats in around the whole place, but you can’t see them as they are all in the rushes.”
With other boats hidden among the rushes nearby, and growing concern among the local boating community, John now calls for better security and surveillance along the shoreline — not just for safety, but to help protect the area’s tourism and peace of mind for those who spend their lives on the water.
“It’s scaring all the boat people and its not good for tourism,” he said.
“There needs to be cameras down there, there needs to be at least one camera to watch the place, because people are coming in and out.”
Meanwhile, police are also seeking information regarding criminal damage caused to another boat in Enniskillen
The canopy of the boat, which was moored at Stuart’s Car Park, was caused sometime between Sunday, July 27 and Wednesday, July 30. A number of items were also taken.
Anyone with information on either of the two incidents is asked to call police on 101.