'River Dave' doesn't think he can go back to being a hermit

CONCORD, N.H. – An off-the-grid New Hampshire man's days surviving arsenic a hermit look to beryllium over. “River Dave,” whose compartment successful the woods burned down aft astir 3 decades connected spot that helium was ordered to leave, says helium doesn't deliberation helium tin instrumentality to his lifestyle.

“I don't spot however I tin spell backmost to being a hermit due to the fact that nine is not going to let it," David Lidstone said successful an interrogation with The Associated Press connected Tuesday.

Lidstone, 81, said adjacent if helium could rebuild his cabin, which burned down past week, “I would person radical coming each weekend, truthful I conscionable can't get retired of nine anymore. I've hidden excessively galore years and I've built relationships, and those relationships person continued to expand."

Lidstone, a logger by commercialized who chopped his firewood and grew his nutrient successful the woods on the Merrimack River successful the municipality of Canterbury, said he's not grieving the nonaccomplishment of his beingness successful isolation.

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“Maybe the things I've been trying to debar are the things that I truly request successful life," said Lidstone, who drifted isolated from his family. “I grew up ne'er being hugged oregon kissed, oregon immoderate adjacent contact.

“I had idiosyncratic inquire maine once, astir my wife: ‘Did you truly emotion her?’ And the question benignant of shocked maine for a second. I ... I’ve ne'er loved anybody successful my life. And I shocked myself due to the fact that I hadn’t realized that. And that’s wherefore I was a hermit. Now I tin spot emotion being expressed that I ne'er had before."

Lidstone, who is inactive joined but is estranged from his family, declined to remark further connected his narration with them. Two of his 3 sons had told the AP they hadn't been successful interaction with their begetter recently, and his girl did not respond to a connection seeking comment.

He was jailed connected July 15 connected a civilian contempt authorisation and was told he’d beryllium released if helium agreed to permission the compartment pursuing a spot quality that goes backmost to 2016. The landowner, 86-year-old Leonard Giles, of South Burlington, Vermont, wanted Lidstone disconnected the property.

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The property, undeveloped and mostly utilized for timber harvests, has been owned by the aforesaid household since 1963.

Lidstone had said a anterior proprietor successful the household gave his connection years agone that helium could unrecorded there, but had thing successful writing. He aboriginal disputed that helium was adjacent connected the property. In tribunal Wednesday, some sides agreed to put for Lidstone to cod his cats and chickens and remaining possessions astatine the site; immoderate items had been fixed to constabulary for safekeeping. Lidstone, who inactive believes helium was not connected Giles' land, besides was fixed support to prosecute a surveyor to springiness him “peace of mind," Judge Andrew Schulman said.

A fire destroyed the compartment connected Aug. 4, hours aft Lidstone defended himself during a tribunal hearing. He was released from jailhouse the adjacent time aft the justice ruled that helium would person little inducement to instrumentality to “this peculiar spot successful the woods,” present that the compartment had burned down.

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Canterbury Fire Chief Michael Gamache said that portion the probe isn't implicit and arson is not being ruled retired arsenic a imaginable cause, the occurrence was much apt caused by accident. He said a typical of Giles who was starting to demolish the compartment connected Aug. 4 disabled star panels, which inactive had electrical complaint successful them. He besides utilized a powerfulness saw to chopped into metallic supports that held the panels onto the roof. Either enactment could person created sparks to commencement making things smoke.

“He finished his time astatine astir a 4th of three, and a occurrence is noticed astatine astir 3:15," Gamache said.

He besides said it's besides imaginable the results could beryllium inconclusive. “Right now, there's thing near to spell connected astatine the site."

In the meantime, galore radical crossed the state and beyond person offered to assistance Lidstone, either done fundraising oregon offering him a spot to live. Lidstone said helium is thankful for each the support. He's inactive trying to fig retired wherever helium would spell next, though helium wouldn't caput staying successful New Hampshire, wherever he's developed immoderate beardown connections.

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One connection nether information is for him to unrecorded connected spot belonging to the Concord Friends Meeting, a Quaker gathering successful Canterbury that's not acold from the compartment site. Lidstone worked connected the meetinghouse arsenic it was being constructed successful 2010. The congregation would person to hold connected the matter.

The spot overlooks the Merrimack.

“It has surely occurred to america that present is simply a neighbour successful need," said Richard Kleinschmidt, co-clerk of the Quaker meeting, “and however tin we assistance him?”

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