Funeral of Black Country firefighter who died in fundraising Channel swim attempt being held today
The funeral of a much-loved Black Country firefighter who died while trying to swim the English Channel for charity will take place today.
Iain Hughes, crew manager at Wednesbury fire station, set off from the Kent coast on the morning of June 20 accompanied by a support boat, but went missing later that day in French waters.
The disappearance of the 42-year-old father-of-two sparked an extensive search by French and Belgian authorities which was later called off.
On July 28, West Midlands Fire Service announced that the firefighter's body had been found in waters off the coast of Belgium.
And today, Iain Hughes's loved ones will gather to pay their respects to the father and firefighter.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said: "The funeral of Crew Commander Iain Hughes, who went missing during his cross-Channel swim attempt, takes place today.
"Our thoughts remain with Iain's family and friends. Flags at our sites have been lowered.
"Our book of condolence can be found online at wmfs.link/44vscza."
After the announcement of Mr Hughes's death, his family made a joint statement which was released through the fire service.
They said: "Our lives were shattered when Iain went missing. He was our world. The news that his body had been found was unbearable. It still is. We miss him more than words can ever say.
"We are proud of Iain for so many reasons. He put his heart and soul into training for the swim, but that was Iain – determined to help and support others."
Mr Hughes joined West Midlands Fire Service in 1999 at the age of 19 and was posted to Bournbrook fire station, later serving at Billesley, Tipton, Wolverhampton, Tettenhall, Bilston, Brierley Hill and Stourbridge.
He was promoted to crew manager in 2016 and joined the technical rescue unit last year.
The 42-year-old had been attempting to raise £21,000 with his swim, working out at £1,000 for every mile, to fund the vital work of the British Heart Foundation, The Fire Fighters Charity and the Midlands Air Ambulance.
However, the fundraiser has now reached almost £80,000, donated by more than 3,000 supporters.
Mr Hughes’ family added: "It is lovely to see how much money has been raised for his three charities, but also heartbreaking that he will never know the total.
"Thank you to everyone who has donated and who is still raising money. We also want to send our thanks and love to everyone who has been there for us these past few weeks.
"The photo we are releasing [above] sums up the Iain we loved."
