Mum of teenager killed in the River Wear wants better water safety lessons
Cold Water Shock killed my son and I'd never even heard of it... A County Durham mam wants better safety lessons in school.
A County Durham mam whose son was killed by cold water shock says safety lessons must be taught in schools.
Fiona Gosling says it was ‘heart-breaking’ having to identify her teenage son’s body just under a year ago and no parent should ever have to do it.
14-year-old Cameron was with friends at the River Wear in July 2015, but died from cold water shock after jumping in.
Now, Fiona is campaigning for better water safety lessons in schools for all children over the age of 10 to help prevent more tragedies in the future. She said:
“If they’re taught at an early age how to look after themselves and how to protect themselves and their friends, I think it’s really really important.
“Parents have to take responsibility; as a parent you must teach your kids the basics themselves. But it needs to be enhanced in schools. I do believe it has to be on the curriculum.”
“There’s no such thing as normal without Cameron, you have to learn a new way of living. I still put his tea out, not all the time just every now and again. I didn’t lock the door for four months on a night time because I didn’t want to lock him out. Even though you know he’s not coming back you don’t want to lock him out.”
It comes as Durham County Council is running water safety sessions for schoolchildren this week, as part of Safe Durham Partnership’s Dying to be Cool campaign and Drowning Prevention Week 2016.
We spoke to Kevin Lough, Occupational Health and Safety Manager, at a session in Stanhope. He said:
“When they do go to rivers in some locations such as this, that water temperature can be 10 or 15 degrees lower so it’s the sort of physical and physiological effects that that low water temperature has on the body.
“The schools will have access to this. Obviously there’s a large number across County Durham so to fit them all in would be a challenge but we’re looking at that in terms of fitting more schools into this type of event.”
For more information, visit: http://www.countydurhampartnership.co.uk/Pages/SDP-Home.aspx
To sign Fiona’s petition visit: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/124748