A BELOVED dad-of-three tragically died in a house boat fire with his dog – with his family now paying heartbreaking tribute.
Philip Murphy, 43, was found dead with his service pooch Hugo after firefighters tackled the blaze for 13 hours early onChristmasmorning.
The Army veteran leaves behind his three children Juliette Murphy, 23, Ash, 19, and Fionn, 16.
Paramedics raced to Crooke Hall Moorings in Standish, Greater Manchester, at 3.30am on December 25 but it was too late for Philip and Hugo.
Philip, also known as Gabriel, was a former paramedic for North West Ambulance Service and had moved into the barge after becoming homeless.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “Just after 3.30am on Friday 25 December, three fire engines from Wigan and Hindley, along with the technical response unit from Leigh and water incident unit from Eccles, attended an incident on Crooke Road, Wigan.
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“Firefighters were in attendance for around 13 hours.”
Greater Manchester Police is investigating Philip’s tragic death but said it is being treated as non-suspicious.
Philip had lived in Manchester for a decade after he left the army, Juliette said.
In a tribute, Juliette wrote: “helping people is who he was even though life was hard for him he was gentle and carried more pain than he ever showed.”
She added that her dad died alongside his assistance dog Hugo who helped him with his PTSD after he left the forces.
The healthcare assistant said the full weight of the tragedy hit when she learnt that Hugo had been cremated.
She added that “in a further heartbreaking mistake he was cremated and his ashes discarded by the charity who was informed by police to keep him safe, meaning my dad and Hugo can never be laid to rest together as I had hoped.”
Juliette added: “losing my dad was devastating and losing the chance to honour the bond between him and Hugo was been a second tragedy our family is struggling to come to terms with.”
Philip had no life insurance or funeral plan in place and to help with funeral costs Juliette has started a GoFundMe.
Juliette hopes she can give her dad “a beautiful and respectful farewell surrounded by the people who loved him”.
The fundraiser is also a way for her to rebuild her life after such a sudden loss.
She added that: “The fire took everything, there are no belongings left from the boat and no memories we can hold onto physically.”
Speaking to the BBC, Juliette said: “He was the fun dad who always knew how to make us laugh. He just had a lot of love to give.”
She added: “I want my siblings to be able to grieve safely and not need to worry about anything.”
Philip’s family have raised more than £5,000 to go towards his funeral.