Raamsdonk is dominated by the funeral of Thijs (16) on Saturday. While breaking down a carnival car in Raamsdonk, he fell out of a platform earlier this month. His friend also fell. Thijs did not survive the fall. Prior to the funeral, Thijs was honored by the carnival clubs in the region with a carnival car that was specially built for him.
The carnival car, with the box of Thijs on it, was pulled by a tractor. He was controlled by his father and sister and rode in the mourning procession, who left at the end of the morning at the Sint-Bavokerk in Raamsdonk.
Then Thijs made his last trip through the village. There were people with torches along the road. The procession stopped at the Lambertuskerk in Raamsdonk. The funeral took place there.
Thijs was a member of Carnival Association Goei tuning. During carnival, the association participated for the second year in the parades in Raamsdonk and Raamsdonksveer. Things went wrong during the breakdown.
The special car for Thijs is about 4 meters long. Just like the carnival car, it is based on clouds.
“We have all picked this up,” says Stefan van Strien, chairman of Stichting Raamsdonkse Karnaval. “The idea for the car was created at lightning speed. The groups were formed within an hour to arrange everything.”
“He was always paramount and was everywhere.”
According to Van Strien, the news was ‘smashed like a bomb’. “It’s a sad day. This lingers here for a long time. We have celebrated a beautiful carnival, but that it has to end this way is too bizarre for words.”
Thijs was a great guy and a real club man, says Van Strien. “He arranged everything for his clubs. The guild, the football club: he was always paramount and was everywhere. A big loss.”
Thijs’s friend is ‘happy physically well’, says Van Stien. “Fortunately, although it is hard to talk about bright spots at the moment.”
