MAN’S BODY DISCOVERED ALONGSIDE DOGS IN BURNT OUT BRIGHSTONE COTTAGE

The body of a man in his 40s has been discovered amongst the wreckage of a cottage in Brighstone – alongside his 3 dogs – following a blaze in the village earlier this week. As first reported by Island Echo, crews from Newport, Freshwater, Yarmouth, Cowes and Shanklin – as well as the Incident Command Unit and Aerial Ladder Platform – were called to the scene on Gaggerhill Lane at just before 02:00 on Tuesday morning. Firefighters used hose reel jets to extinguish the blaze which quickly engulfed the detached property. Luckily, the fire didn’t spread to any of the neighbouring dwellings thanks to the work of firefighters. Residents of nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution. Later that day, Urban Search and Rescue Crews (USAR) were called to the scene to carry out assessments on the property’s structural integrity as investigators looked to establish how the blaze occurred. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has now confirmed that during on scene investigations, a body – that of a male in his 40s – has been discovered. Island Echo understands that the remains of his 3 dogs – believed to be a Labrador and 2x Westie Cross – have also been discovered. The man’s family next of kin have been informed. Exactly how the blaze started remains unknown, but investigations into the cause remain ongoing.