Help requested - missing person & boat

[+Bumbling Fools]

For all you towpath Cachers out there, I wonder if you could keep an eye open for a missing person & boat? A Mr David King Hired Narrowboat “Holly” From Middlewich Narrowboats in Cheshire for a holiday from 9th - 23rd March and failed to return it. Original details can be found here(pdf). However, The boat was spotted on the Hatton Lock flight in Warwickshire on the 29th March, where the original green, red & white colour scheme had been painted blue (picture here.)

 

A further sighting around Braunston, Northamptonshire was made over the Easter weekend, but since then, the trail has gone cold. Although narrowboats travel slowly, the time since the last sighting means he could be down almost as far as London or up to south Yorks, or it may be that Mr King is trying to lie low in some backwater, or be repainting the boat again if he realises the size of the hunt for him and that his blue paint scheme has been rumbled.

 

Obviously Mr. King's Family is concerned for his welfare, and Middlewich Narrowboats are concerned for their £40000 Narrowboat (not to mention all the people who had booked it for subsequent weeks). If you have any information, you can contact Middlewich Narrowboats on 01606 832460 or Cheshire Police on 01606 480000 quoting crime number CC07101211

 

For anyone who wants to follow the story (hopefully to a safe & happy conclusion) you can do so here

 

Thanks for your help.

 

(Not sure what the FTF prize is, but several people will be very grateful)

[+third-degree-witch]

Following this with intrest.The Mary Celeste of the inland waterways..Will walk the canal between Hemel Hempstead and Berkhamstead later..you never know..I see the bloke comes from St Albans so it may be worth a look

[+HazelS]

Yes... I too have been following this with interest...

 

I saw it on Granada reports t'other night, and when I was caching on the canal in Ellesmere Port the other night I kept my eyes peeled... long shot I know, but if ALL cachers did the same... we could have the country covered in a matter of days!

[+The Boat People]

We are moving south along Staffs & Worcs, Trent & Mersey, BHam Fazeley, Coventry, North & South Oxford Canals so will keep a look out for Holly.

[sarahjayne]

Looks like the boat has been found

[+Sensei TSKC]

Looks like the boat has been found

Why?

[+minxyy]

Well done to all the canal folk that looked for 'Holly'. I've been following this on GC.com and canal web site for a few days now!! What a great effort they all made and Trish and Jon and all at Middlewich Boats can now have a well deserved weekend off! AND the family of this man can be reassured. Congratulations everyone for a positive outcome from a very worrying scenario

[+kbootb]

Report on BBC News site