KENNELLY’S FAMILY STRUGGLING TO PAY FUNERAL COSTS
Relatives of TIMOTHY KENNELLY - who died trying to save his drowning AFTE= R DEATH bandmate in Brazil - are struggling to cope with the cost of flyi= ng the late rocker’s body back to Britain.
Bassist Kennelly, 18, died on Thursday (21Jan10) while attempting to re= scue his bandmate Leon Villalba in choppy waters off the coast of Brazil,= where the heavy metal stars were spending a break during a six-week tour= ..
Kennelly’s parents Rosemary and Diarmuid travelled to the South America= n country over the weekend (23-24Jan10) but were told they would have to = pay to bring their son’s body home because the band didn’t have insurance= ..
And the teen’s uncle, Eddie McLaughlin, insists it will be difficult fo= r them to come up with the fees.
He explains, "Unfortunately none of them had any insurance so the famil= ies are going to have to spend a huge amount of money repatriating the bo= dies. Timothy’s parents are going to find it hard to come up with the mon= ey. Rosemary is a retired teacher and Diarmuid worked as a fish monger bu= t his business closed three years ago." McLaughlin adds the remaining members of the group, who have since retu= rned to London, have paid tribute to their brave pal.
He adds, "They (the band) told us that they saw Timothy and Leon clingi= ng together in the sea and then they were just gone. Timothy is not a goo= d swimmer but he still did everything he could to try and help his friend= .. We are all so proud of him. He is a hero."
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