Funeral of kayaker to raise funds for rescuers (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Funeral of kayaker to raise funds for rescuers

8:00am Friday 8th February 2013 in News

THE funeral of a kayaker from Kidderminster who died after being pulled from a mountain stream in Yorkshire will be held later this month.

Matthew Baird-Parker, 36, died on January 27 when he got into difficulties on the Arkle Beck at Reeth, near Leyburn.

His funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church, Kidderminster on Friday, February 22 at 1pm.

Mr Baird-Parker’s family have decided not to have any flowers but instead want to raise money for the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Service and the North East Air Ambulance, which were involved in his rescue.

Mr Baird-Parker, who was also popular in the BMX community
in Kidderminster, had moved to Yorkshire two years ago to be
closer to the water.

His father Stephen said: “We have been overwhelmed with comments, both on kayaking websites and BMX websites
about Matthew.

“He seems to have touched everyone who he met and the depth of the positive feelings towards him is amazing.

“We have been told that more than 40 people took part in the
rescue and it was one of the biggest operations of that sort in the area for many years.

“One of the officers who was
involved, who works in that part of the Dales, said that she had often seen the river higher and it wasn’t dangerous. It was just a tragic accident.”