Riverland houseboat tragedy - Pamela’s Joy

My name is Shenay, and I am fundraising for my grandparents to help get them back on their feet after a natural disaster took their home from them. This is their story.

Pam and David - 77 & 82 - were enjoying yet another afternoon on their beloved houseboat on the banks of the Mighty Murray River. The place they have called home for 23 memorable years.

On the 13th February 2024, the weather was less than ideal, some bands of rain came through, followed by increasing winds. It was nothing Pam and David weren’t used to, during their time on the water they’ve seen Mother Nature do her worst. From heavy storms, to bushfires and floods, they’d seen it all.

They were soon to learn that this day would be different. Their peace and serenity was suddenly shattered by the deafening sound of a falling gum tree crashing into the living room of their houseboat. Trapped in their armchairs, their mobile phone was just within reach. They called emergency services in a panic and waited helplessly to be rescued.

While they miraculously came through this ordeal with only minor injuries, their home was completely destroyed, and they now face a long road of emotional recovery ahead.

To make matters worse, they recently learned that their insurance company canceled the coverage of their houseboat, and said that their policy could no longer be honoured because they live on their boat full-time. The place they poured their life savings into, to spend their golden years with the beautiful South Australian outback as their backdrop, now lay crippled in a pile of debris worth nothing.

Riverland locals may remember this special houseboat - Pamela’s Joy - a piece of Riverland history. David, being an artist, once spent countless hours painting the exterior of the boat with his iteration of the Australian outback landscape: various birds, possums, koala’s, trees and of course, a depiction of himself and Pam with a drink in one hand, and a fishing rod in the other. Local boat tours would sail past daily, with tourists intrigued by the pride, effort and detail David had gone to, to give people a giggle and something to talk about.

So here’s cheers to my Nan and Pop - Two True Blue Aussie battlers - If you feel compelled to help Pam and David re-build their lives, your generosity would go towards a new place for them to live, some furniture and appliances, and of course the cleanup and removal of what’s left of the houseboat.

Thank you for taking the time to hear their story.