Father and son drown while ‘magnet fishing’
A FATHER and his teenage son have died in an apparent accident while ‘magnet fishing’ by a canal.
They are believed to have both drowned, probably after one went into the water to rescue the other.
Police were called when personal possessions were found on the towpath and divers later found the bodies of both men underwater.
They were named locally yesterday as Martin Andrews, 43, and his son Jack, 19, who had gone out for the day together to pursue their hobby.
Magnet fishing is likened to metal detecting in water and a strong magnet is attached to a rope and dragged along the bottom of a river or canal to trawl up metal items.
The ‘fisherman’ remains on the bank and all kinds of objects are frequently found by enthusiasts hoping to land something valuable.
No witnesses have been traced, but local people from the area on the outskirts of Huddersfield said the currents in the stretch of water, next to a lock, are decep- tively strong. Anyone falling into the water would have found it difficult to climb out due to its submerged, sloping bank and there is no lifesaving equipment nearby.
Tragically a ladder, less than 50 yards from where the men are believed to have drowned, would have been out of sight.
Mr Andrews, a married father of two, left the family home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire, early on Saturday with Jack. The men were fishing near Cooper Bridge, a short section of canal on the River Calder.
Mr Andrews had parked his Jaguar XType in a car park nearby and a passerby became concerned during the morning because their jackets, a mobile phone, cigarette lighters and car keys were found unattended. Police were called at about 11.15am on Saturday and used the keys to find the car and then spoke to his wife Angela, 44, who confirmed they had gone out fishing.
West Yorkshire Police’s underwater search team began scouring the waterway and found both bodies at 7.20pm. They are not treating the incident as suspicious
The local woman who found their possessions while walking her dog said: ‘The currents in this area can be really strong and there’s no life-saving equipment here.
‘It’s heartbreaking. I feel so sorry for his family. That poor woman, and for it to be Father’s Day makes it even worse.’
Stephen Hydes, who was fishing at the site yesterday, said: ‘Any water is dangerous if you can’t swim and if they went in by the lock gates they would not have been able to stand up.’
Another local angler Dave Kitchingman, 54, said he was surprised they couldn’t get out as the water was only 5ft or 6ft deep. ‘I am a bit baffled about this but it is very tragic,’ he said.
‘The canal is not particularly deep where they have gone in but the side wall is sloped and curves down to the bottom so it would have been slippery and difficult for them to scramble out again.’