LISTEN: sister of Sheffield teenager who drowned calls for more safety measures
The sister of a Sheffield teenager, who drowned in a city centre canal, has told Hallam something MUST be done to stop people dying there
The heartbroken family of a teenager, who drowned in a Sheffield canal, have told Hallam more people WILL die there if safety's not improved.
19 year old Alex Wilson went missing after a night out last month - he was found dead in Victoria Quays in the city centre a few days later.
It's emerged a coroner raised safety concerns back in 2015 after 20 year-old Adam Miles died in similar circumstances at the same place.
Two petitions are now calling for more safety measures there.
Claire say it's so important something's done:
"Something needs to be fixed so nobody else goes through this torture. We all love him, we’re really close and what we’re going through right now is torture.
"What we’re going through right now is awful and I would never wish this on anyone else.
"It’s not the first time this has happened and it will happen again and we don’t want that, we want it to stop now."
The Canal and River Trust, who own the canal and surrounding land, say they installed an extra life ring after the coroner's recommendations after Adam Miles' death.
But Claire says that's not enough:
"It could happen to anyone"
"It’s just a really dangerous place and a life ring, if there was nobody else there, what good would that do? There’s no fence or railings or anything like that.
"There’s nothing stopping people just walking from the main road down there and if they don’t know where they are, its dark there’s no lights. It could happen to anyone."
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said:
"We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of Alex Wilson’s death, our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. Our charity looks after the Sheffield & Tinsley Canal and the small section of land immediately adjacent to the water’s edge at Victoria Quays.
"We are investigating the circumstances around this incident and have already carried out a comprehensive site review. We are still in the early stages of the investigation into this incident and will help the coroner’s court in whatever way we can, working with other land owners across the wider site.
“A review of the site was carried out following the death of Adam Miles in December 2015, to ensure that the appropriate safety measures were in place. In response to the concerns raised in the coroner’s report, we installed an additional life ring at the site. Escape ladders and railings were already in place around sections of the canal, along with bollards linked by chains demarking the edge of the quayside.
"Although fencing off the waterfront may appear a straightforward solution, it’s sadly not that simple in practice. We have to maintain safe access to and from the water for boaters, and the safe rescue of those who need help when they find themselves in difficulty."