Bereaved Ponteland dad urging people to be water aware over festive period
Nick Pope's son Charlie died after drowning on a night out.
A Ponteland dad whose son drowned on a night out is urging people to be careful around water over the festive period.
Charlie Pope, 19, drowned in Manchester's Rochdale canal after going missing during a night out with friends in 2018.
His Dad - Nick Pope - tells us how does not want another family to experience the same grief.
He said: "His mates had said they'd all gone out, had a few drinks, got split up.
"They think that Charlie had probably got hypothermia from being so cold. He was wandering around disorientated, obviously not from Manchester, so doesn't know that area very well.
"They think he's probably got hypothermia and just lost his bearings and fallen through into the canal.
"I think the worst actually was the text at the start because within an hour or so you've tried his phone. It's not picking up.
"You've tried his obvious mates; they don't know where he is. Nobody knows where he is and by then it had been probably 12 or 13 hours that nobody had heard from him at that point.
"You really hope for the best, but fear for the worst.
"Everybody thinks it can't happen to them, and we thought that. But it can happen, and it does happen.
"Take notice of this please, that it’s something to be aware of and that can does happen. Then on a night out just look out for each other."