Roger Wood left the military after suffering a severe back injury when he was in his 20s.
From this point, his life spiralled into struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and poor mental health.
An inquest into his death heard that on February 6 last year, police found the 54-year-old slumped over a bed in a small boat moored near Whitlingham Broad, where he was living.
In a statement read to the court, his brother Golden Wood said: “He was in the army years ago but was medically discharged in his 20s after suffering a nasty blow to the back.
“He then turned to drugs as he was in a lot of pain. He became a different person and it became very difficult to stay in touch.
“He was trying to get off the drugs and alcohol but sadly did not manage it. He helped other people get off them but just could not help himself.”
-The court heard that at the time of his death, he had been living aboard a boat which was moored off Whitlingham Lane, but that police found it in a “state of disarray”.
He had been receiving support from the vulnerable adults service in Norwich and after it had emerged he had not collected prescriptions in three weeks, the alarm was raised.
Police gained access to the vessel where they found Mr Wood unresponsive inside.
The medical cause of his death was given as mephedrone toxicity, combined with cocaine and a combination of prescription medications.
Jacqueline Lake, senior coroner for Norfolk, concluded he died a drugs-related death.
