He was the best dad... his wife and his kids were his absolute world
FAMILY’S TRIBUTE TO POLICE OFFICER IN HOLIDAY DROWNING TRAGEDY
A GREATER Manchester policeman drowned after he was caught up in a whirlpool during an adventure holiday to the Isle of Skye.
Father-of-three Pc Shazad Saddique, 38, was swimming near waterfalls when he was pulled under the water by the force of the vortex.
Tourists, including an off-duty French police officer, managed to pull Pc Saddique clear but he died despite efforts to revive him.
The tragedy on July 19 this year occurred while his wife was expecting their fourth child.
Paying tribute, GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said: “Shazad was described as a role model for young British Muslims, combining his faith with being a proud British citizen and serving his community through policing.
“He was taken far too soon and he will be sadly missed.”
An inquest heard that Pc Saddique, who lived in Oldham, had joined GMP in 2018 and was a student officer based in Ashton-under-Lyne.
He was heavily involved in outreach work with young people in the community, helping them to experience outdoor activities in the countryside. He had arranged the trip to the Scottish island for 30 people, including his brother and 13-year-old son.
The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Fairy Pools – a natural waterfall phenomenon leading down from the Cuillin Mountain Range in Glen Brittle. In a statement read to the Heywood hearing, family friend Temour Ahmed said: “It wasn’t organised as a charity event but those going had agreed to make a donation to charity and we would be away for three nights and four days.
“I met Shazad on the M6, we drove up to Glasgow together and we agreed to get up early and leave the accommodation about 5am to get to Skye.
“Everybody was in good spirits and looking forward to it. We arrived at the hostel at around 10.30am. Some of the groups decided to remain at the hostel as they were tired but myself and Shazad and two others decided to go to the Fairy Pools. It was a journey of about 40 minutes and Shazad was wearing a fully-fitted wetsuit and goggles and swimming shoes. There are small pools connected by waterfalls and Shazad had gone swimming in different pools and continued to do that for about an hour, an hour-and-a-quarter. I watched him jumping in from height and he was generally having fun.
“I went to sit on a rock about 15 metres away from the pools to have something to eat and I couldn’t see the pool where Shazad was.
“Then I heard people shouting and went to the pool. I could see Shazad was unresponsive in the water. I tried to get into the water but there was a very strong undercurrent which was pulling my trousers down so I got out.
“A bystander gave me his walking stick to try to help but there wasn’t much I could do with the stick because of the current. It was looking like a whirlpool effect.
“Eventually we were able to get to Shazad from the water but sadly his lips where blue and he was totally unresponsive. Efforts were made to resuscitate and we were doing CPR for 15 minutes.
“Whatever happened to Shazad happened very quickly and he couldn’t have been in the water for more than a couple of minutes.’’
Police coroner’s officer Paul Lever
Whatever happened to Shazad happened very quickly
Friend Temour Ahmed who tried to save the ’inspirational’ dad’s life
said: “Shazad was an incredibly healthy and fit young man. He enjoyed walking and running and really promoted that in others.”
Recording a conclusion of death by drowning, coroner Joanne Kearsley said: “This is a very, very sad case which started out as a joyful trip to be shared with friends and family but ended in huge tragedy. It’s clear Shazad was a publicly supported man, very loving with a young family and a role model to those who came into contact with him.”
Pc Saddique’s family have since launched the charity Green Escapes Trust (GET) in his memory, which helps arrange for members of his local community to go on adventure trips around the UK.
In a statement they said: “Shaz was the most selfless person you could ever hope to meet; he always put other people first and wanted to make every new experience a fun one.” They added: “He achieved so much and we were always so proud of him. He completed marathons all over the world and did hiking challenges throughout the UK, all in the name of raising money for charity.
“He loved his family more than anything; he was a supporting figure and a role model for his siblings. He was the best dad, and his wife and kids were his absolute world.’’