In a devastating turn of events that no family should ever have to experience, what was meant to be a dignified farewell to a father and his newborn son became an unprecedented technological disaster at a Cardiff crematorium.

Simon Lewis, 33, and his baby boy, Simon Lewis Jnr, were being remembered in a service attended by hundreds at Thornhill Crematorium in Cardiff. The father and son had tragically lost their lives following a New Year’s Eve collision. Mr. Lewis died in the initial crash, while his unborn son, delivered by emergency C-section three days later due to distress, passed away shortly after birth.

What happened next left mourners in disbelief. Instead of playing a carefully prepared tribute video, the crematorium’s newly installed smart TV system accidentally displayed inappropriate adult content on the screen. Despite immediate attempts to address the situation, it took staff nearly four minutes to shut down the display, leaving the congregation in shock and distress.

A Priest’s Professional Response

In his 30 years of service, Reverend Lionel Fanthorpe had never encountered such an incident. “My heart goes out to all the friends and family present,” he stated, handling the situation with remarkable composure. The reverend quickly attempted to redirect attention and provide comfort to the distressed family members.

Cardiff Council, which operates the crematorium, launched an urgent investigation into the incident. Their preliminary findings suggest the newly installed smart TV might have picked up an unauthorized broadcast through Bluetooth or WiFi.

The council emphasized that staff members had no ability to play or download content onto the system. James Summers & Son, the funeral directors, expressed their sincere apologies to the Lewis family and called for a full investigation into the incident. They’re working closely with Cardiff Council to understand how such a distressing event could have occurred.