Rain comes as no surprise to anyone in Cornwall but when it devastates your small family-run business that you’ve been working hard to create, it can turn your life upside-down.

Wayne Downing, a former firefighter from Launceston, who now lives in Hallworthy, dedicated four years of his life building his Segway business in Bude. But this has all been taken away after just one day of severe wet weather.

Heavy rain and a burst river bank near the Weir, outside Bude, on October 26 caused Segway Bude’s storage containers to flood, leaving the Segways under a foot of water.

This caused severe damage to the batteries and delicate electronic systems making the Segways completely unusable.

According to Wayne, the approximate cost of the damage is a staggering £30,000 and to add a further blow, the insurance company won’t pay out any money.

Despite paying a considerable amount of money for insurance over the last four years, the policy didn’t cover any flood damage.

Unsurprisingly, this has left Wayne devastated.

He said: “We didn’t expect it, it was a bit of a freak occurrence to be honest. I opened the container door and smoke was pouring out and the batteries exploding.

“There was 13 in total but I’ve managed to get four up and running again, although the rest are all gone.”

Wayne said the repair cost for the batteries would be £5,000 and with a new unit in the region of £8,000.

The huge financial loss occurred from this set back has left Wayne and his wife Mal to appeal to the public for support, to enable them to get back on track.

Mal set up a GoFundMe Page in the hope that the community will help get them back on their feet.

The business is run solely by Wayne and is the main source of income for him and his family. As Segway Bude is mainly seasonal, winter can be a difficult time.

Wayne continued: “It was very difficult for us as we had to close over half-term. We make most of our money over summer which lasts us through the winter months, but as we have had to take that money and put it towards repair costs, we have come unstuck.”

Segway Bude will remain shut over winter with the hope of being able to be back up and running again in time for the Easter holidays.

Despite this time of hardship for Wayne, Mal and their two children, they have been overwhelmed by the support shown from the public in both donations and kind words.

Wayne added: “It’s nice to know there are people out there that have our back. I think having our own business means that people can relate and see the hard work we’ve put in over the years.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their donations and for all the kind words, it really helps.”

If you would like to find out more information or to donate to the fund, search Save Segway Bude at www.gofundme.com