Make Charlie The Last: Charlie's Code to be part of national life saving campaign

A Ponteland Dad says it's fantastic that a key part of a national campaign is named in memory of his son, who drowned in a canal earlier this year.

We've been campaigning with Nick Pope to Make Charlie The Last - his 19-year-old died coming home from a night out during the Beast From The East in March.

Charlie's Code will be part of the Royal Life Saving Society's Don't Drink and Drown campaign - it'll see people on nights out in Newcastle are being warned to act responsibly near water during their night out after being classified as high risk of drowning whilst under the influence.

Tyne and Wear was considered a high-risk county by RLSS UK after stats revealed 29 people accidentally drowned in the last five years and a staggering 45% of these (13) were found to have had alcohol in their system, making it one of the highest areas in the country for alcohol related drownings in the UK.

As part of the campaign, this year running from 3-9 December, RLSS UK will be working with Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service and Newcastle City Council, urging people not to walk home near bodies of water after they have been drinking.

Shoppers will receive water safety information at the Newcastle Quayside market on Sunday 2 December; pubs in the area will be displaying Don’t Drink and Drown posters and beer mats; and volunteers will be talking to revellers on their night out.

Dave Irwin, a firefighter whose 22-year-old son Ross tragically drowned in 2016, and Fiona Gosling, who lost her 14-year-old son Cameron in 2015, will also be attending the Newcastle Quayside event.

Over the last five years there have been 1,581 accidental deaths in the UK and almost 30% of the victims had alcohol in their bloodstream*.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Area Manager Lynsey McVay said:

“TWFRS have trained personnel who can be mobilised to undertake rescues from water when requested. Personnel based at Byker Community Fire Station are at the forefront of the majority of these rescues and take a leading role in carrying out initiatives to prevent these incidents occurring. In 2017 alone, we responded to 126 water-related call outs. Since January 1 2018 this figure already stands at 111."

“We support promoting water safety messages not only at events like this; but we work closely with local businesses to provide training and information, so they have the confidence to deal with life threatening incidents and raise awareness to both staff and customers of the dangers of alcohol and open water.”

Councillor Kim McGuinness, Newcastle City Council cabinet member for Culture, Sport and Public Health, said:

“It is incredibly sad to see how many people have lost their lives from drowning in the region and the alcohol-related figures are particularly concerning. Education of the dangers is absolutely the right way to go about tackling this figure to avoid more tragedies in our waters.

“The Quayside in Newcastle is a stunning place to be and is rightly popular with those here to enjoy the city’s lively social scene, but the Tyne River can be unrelenting to those who fall into it. We should all know the risks and hazards associated with it and I would urge as many people as possible to make note of the life-saving advice being given by the Don’t Drink and Drown campaign.”

Pamela Wilkinson, RLSS UK branch secretary for the Tyne and Wear area, said:

“There have been several incidences at the quayside where people have fallen in the river and had to be rescued by bar staff so this was a key target area for us this year.

“People tragically die each year because they’ve entered the water with alcohol in their bloodstream, either deliberately or completely by accident. Drinking near or in water can be a dangerous and deadly cocktail. Alcohol can seriously impede your ability to survive in water.

“When walking home from a night out, we urge people to avoid routes that are alongside water, particularly in the darkness, and always stay with and look out for your friends.”

“We want everyone to have a great time this Christmas and our Don’t Drink and Drown campaign gives essential advice to party-goers to make sure they know how to stay safe when they’re out celebrating.”

Stay Safe this Christmas:

• Don’t walk home near water, you might fall in

• Look out for your friends, make sure they get home safely

• Don’t enter the water if you have been drinking

• Alcohol seriously affects your ability to get yourself out of trouble