Funeral held for young brothers who died in Loch Gairloch canoe accident

By HILARY DUNCANSON
Published on 07/09/2012 23:52

THE mother of two young boys who died in a canoe accident has said that life without them is too hard to bear.

Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday for the funeral of Ewen Beaton, five, and his brother Jamie, two. The boys died after the six-man canoe they were in with their father and three friends capsized on Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the Highlands, on 26 August.

They were rescued by helicopter, but died that night in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness. The body of the boys’ father, Ewen, 32, has not been found.

Their friend Grace Mackay, five, was pulled from the water, but she died last week in Glasgow’s Yorkhill children’s hospital. Her sister Callie, eight, and their father Garry, 35, managed to swim the 500 metres to shore and raise the alarm.

At the service, a tribute from Ewen and Jamie’s mother Joanne was read out by family friend Pauline Gault: “Please tell them both that I love them and I miss them so very much and that, because of them, so many lives have been touched.

“Tell them I know they are with me each and every day and they know just what I can’t find the words to say. Tell them they will always be a part of me, and me a part of them.

“To express how much I love them, these words seem so few. I know you both are in the best of care, but life without you two is too hard to bear.

“I want you to know Mummy will try her best. And we’ll meet again the day I am laid to rest. Can you ask them to place a special request from those of us left behind: for God to send strength so peace we can find and for extra help to get Mummy through this pain, for my life without them will never be the same.

“I love you both with all my heart and we will be together again and, this time, we will never be apart.”

Ms Gault said her son Joshua was best friends with Ewen and they spent a lot of time together. She said it is difficult to know how much Joshua understands about Ewen’s death, but in a prayer for the boys, he thanked God that heaven was “so cool” and hoped the boys were having fun there.

He also asked that the brothers had “lots of toys to play with” and for Joanne to be happy again because she is “so sad”, Ms Gault said.

About 300 people packed the service at Inverness Crematorium, conducted by the Rev Iain Macleay. He described the brothers as “two wonderful happy boys, content, full of life and fun”, and said they were “like twins”. The search for the boys’ father has involved helicopters, lifeboats, police dogs and divers. Northern Constabulary has said it will keep looking for him.

Grace, who had just started P2 at Tarradale primary school, was laid to rest on Wednesday in her home town of Muir of Ord, near Inverness.