#GetWaterWise: Parents of Glasgow man who accidentally drowned in River Clyde fight to save others
The couple have set up Christopher's Saving Lives Campaign to try and get ropes put on all life belts across Scotland.
Last updated 2nd Jul 2021
The parents of a man who accidentally drowned in the River Clyde are telling Forth 1 they want to prevent other families going through the same tragedy as they have.
It's as part of our #GetWaterWise campaign, where we're raising awareness of water safety as more than 40 people in Scotland accidentally drown every year.
Duncan and Margaret Spiers, from Glasgow, lost their son Christopher in 2016 after he accidentally drowned in the River Clyde.
28-year old Christopher was on a night out in Glasgow with friends, when they were walking home and were stopped by police from walking over the Squiggly Bridge in the city centre after the stormy weather caused debris to fall from the BT building.
Margaret said: "When he arrived there, there was a cordon erected.
"The police had asked them to move, but when they turned their backs to go back to the bothy they were using because of the storm, he climbed too near at the water's edge and he slipped in.
"It's quite hard to know your son might have had a fighting chance if the rope had been attached to it"
"He was shouting for help, they managed to hear him eventually.
"Christopher couldn't reach the life belt and that's more than likely because of the current and because of cold water shock.
"He was washed out into the middle of the water and emergency services arrived.
"Two days later, they were told that Christopher had lost his life - he had drowned."
The couple are now campaigning to make sure other families don't go through the same heartbreak.
They've set up Christopher's Saving Lives Campaign where they are fighting to have ropes which they have created attached to all life belts in Scotland.
"They've saved eight people's lives so far"
Christopher's dad, Duncan, said: "I don't know if the rope would save his life, but at least they could try again if it had a rope attached - but it didn't have a rope attached.
"It hurts so bad"
"It missed Christopher, they couldn't pull it in, it just floated away.
"Whereas if it had a rope on it, they could have pulled it in and had that second go.
"It's quite hard to know your son might have had a fighting chance if the rope had been attached to it, and if there were warning signs down there - there were no warning signs down at the Clyde.
"The way we're feeling - I don't want any family to go through what we're going through - it hurts so bad."
Duncan says the ropes have already been effective at the River Clyde and have saved lives.
He said: "We've been told they've saved eight people's lives so far, and the public have used them to save people's lives, as well as the emergency services."