‘River Dave’ Allowed To Collect Belongings From Canterbury Camp

CONCORD, NH — A man who lived on a parcel in Canterbury for nearly three decades but was held in jail in contempt of court for not leaving the property, will be able to get his personal belongings back.

A Merrimack County Superior Court judge purged a contempt charge against David Lidstone, otherwise known as “River Dave,” whose homestead of 27 years in Canterbury was destroyed by fire on Wednesday.

Judge Andrew Schulman said Leonard Giles, the trustee of the property, will allow Lidstone to survey the property and gather his belongings, at his expense.

ALSO READ:

• ‘No Evidence’ Of A Crime During ‘River Dave’s’ Cabin Fire: Update
• Cause Of 'River Dave' Canterbury Cabin Fire Unknown: Update
• Firefighters Battling Blaze At River Dave's Canterbury Cabin

“Valuable personal items,” as a representative of Giles was dismantling the cabin before it burned, were preserved with Canterbury police. Lidstone will also be able to access his guns and ammunition, currently being held by police, according to Schulman’s order.

During the next two months, Lidstone will be allowed to get personnel items from the property — including his cats and chickens, while the compound will be “deemed abandoned” after 60 days.

Since his cabin burned, several people have reached out to him to assist with resettlement and raise money via GoFundMe.com and other outlets to help Lidstone.

Got a news tip? Send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.