Friends of Southport man who died after falling in lake vow to clean it up in his memory
37 year old Ben Smith-Crallan developed an infection after falling into the water at the Botanic Gardens
Last updated 30th Sep 2021
Family and friends of a man who died weeks after falling into a lake in Southport say they've no other option but to raise the funds themselves to fix the problems there.
Ben Smith-Crallan developed an infection in his leg after falling into the water at the Botanic Gardens in Churchtown 3 years ago.
Now, his loved ones are trying to raise £30,000 to clean the lake and install railings to stop it happening to somebody else.
David Rawsthorne is behind the campaign :
"He was only 37, he had a new girlfriend and had everything to live for and a simple fall in the lake, that could happen to anyone, it could happen to a child. He's been robbed of his life.
"If the water was clean, he probably wouldn't be dead. There's so many ifs and buts, something good has to come out of something tragic happening. Ben would not want any children or anyone else to suffer how he did and I'm determined we will raise the money and have it done.
"He was left at the hospital thinking it would be a run of the mill infection but they put Ben into an induced coma and he was full of tubes and Ben was alive for three weeks in the coma but after a domino effect of complications he passed away.
"It could've been a child but it was Ben, but Ben was somebodies child and if it had have been a child would it just have been pushed under the carpet? I don't think so".
A Sefton Council spokesperson said of the plans:
“As we announced earlier this year, Sefton Council has outlined ideas for up to £30,000 in improvements for the lake and lakeside area at Botanic Gardens, including new water aeration fountains, the installation of new fencing at some locations and secure lifeline stations.
“Our Green Sefton team has been working alongside a number of dedicated community groups who care deeply about the future of the park and are keen to see improvements that benefit the many people who love spending time there.
“Our long-term vision is to reinvigorate the whole park with a host of potential ideas that would offer better facilities for our communities as well as providing a positive boost to the local visitor economy, including the creation of new jobs, subject to funding being available.
“Sefton Council has always worked with its partners across Merseyside to ensure that any open spaces with bodies of water have the appropriate warning signs and infrastructure to keep members of the public safe and no issues were flagged up following Mr Smith-Crallan’s accident.
“Additionally, at the time of Mr Smith-Crallan’s accident stringent tests of Southport’s Botanic Gardens lake water were carried out. Public Health England found the water to be of an acceptable standard for a body of water not designated for bathing and were satisfied the lake was not the cause of Mr Smith-Crallan’s infection.”
To help raise the money, Ben's friends are holding a Sportsman's dinner to raffle off a host of items donated from the likes of Steven Gerrard, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyson Fury and will be hosted by LFC legend John Barnes.
You can find out more info here - https://www.facebook.com/groups/botanicgardenslakecleanup/