‘We hope other families won’t feel the same pain as ours has’
A dad whose son drowned after a night out is helping to save other families from the same pain.
RossIrwinwasjust22when he died in December 2016. after he fell into the River Wear at the end of a night out.
Now dad Dave has joined a number of volunteers for a sponsoredwalkupScafellPike to raise cash for additional water safety equipment along the banks of the river.
The walk raised £3,000, which has been matched by funding from Sunderland CityCouncil'sWashingtonEast community chest, to pay for a newthrowlineboardatFatfield Slipway.
Unliketraditionallifebuoys whichcanbepronetotheftand vandalism, throwlines are secured in a lockbox attached to the board, which can be opened with a code available by dialling 999.
Speaking at the start of this year's annual Drowning Prevention Week, Dave said: "I’m alwayshappytosupportanyregional and national campaign that highlights the dangers some waterways may pose to members of the public from a recreational or social point of view.
"These crucial key messages are even more poignant to
me, both as a firefighter and as aparentwhohaslostabeloved child to an incident of drowning. It will be six years this Christmas when we tragically lost Ross, and not a day goes by when I don’t think of him.”
Dave, a firefighter with TyneandWearFireandRescue Service,added:"Bysharingour experience and hitting home the importance of water safety we hope other families won’t feel the same pain as ours.
"Please keep safe and be extra vigilant around rivers and other waterways especially when walking home after enjoying a night out with friends and family."
The board has been in
stalledinresponsetorequests fromresidents.TyneandWear FireandRescueServicehadalsoexpressedconcernsthat,despite the slipway being closed, it is still being used.
This is the fourth throwline board to be installed on a stretch of the river which also saw teenagers Tonibeth Purvis and Chloe Fowler drown in July 2013.
Washington East ward councillor Fiona Miller said: "We're truly grateful to Dave and to the other volunteers including former councillor Tony Taylor, who helped raise the other half of the funds for this potentially life-saving water safety equipment.”