Tragic end to Sussex family’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ adventure

The Jarman family embarked on a trip of a lifetime when they sold their Sussex home, bought a boat and set off to sail the world.

But the idyllic trip tragically ended when 14-year-old Eddie Jarman was killed when he was struck by a speedboat while snorkelling in Tahiti.

His devastated mum Barbara, dad Harry and sister Amelie, 13, have now returned home and plan to lay Eddie’s body to rest in their local churchyard in West Hoathly.

The family adventure had begun happily in 2018 when the sale of their home funded a cruising yacht to sail the world with Barbara and Harry on a sabbatical from their jobs and Eddie and Amelie home-schooled on board.

They sailed from Lanzarote to the Caribbean early last year, then cruised the Atlantic through Aruba, Columbia and Panama. They explored Equador, the Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia.

Eddie, a talented musician and pupil at Cumnor House, Danehill, was checking the anchor of their boat when the tragedy happened. His distraught family tried desperately to save him but his injuries proved fatal.

The family have now launched a justgiving charity in Eddie’s name - the Eddie Jarman Young Musicians Charity - to help other young music lovers.

Eddie, who was due to start a scholarship in January 2021 at Hurspierpoint, played piano, violin and double bass to a high standard.

“Eddie was an incredibly kind and caring young man, popular and dearly loved,” say his family.

And mum Barbara Genda added: “Eddie loved music more than anything. He often said that he could not imagine living without music, either playing it or listening to it.”

She said she hoped the Young Musicians Charity would enable other children to enjoy music “as much as Eddie has in his short but wonderful life.”

Donations to the new charity can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/eddie-jarman?utm_medium=email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=20200812_