13 year old non swimmer drowns

[Bewildered]

Boy, 13, who could not swim 'drowned when he jumped into a canal'

 

http://dailym.ai/2giWRYJ

Apparently this is the fault of C&RT for not having signs telling non swimmers that jumpining in a lock is dangerous. It has nothing to do with the parents who state that because he didn't show interest in swimming we never bothered to teach him.

[Naughty Cal]

I'm not sure a sign would be of any help.

 

What is it supposed to say?

 

Where is it supposed to be located?

[Jak]

No signs to warn that jumping into the canal is a bad idea for a non-swimmer? Tragic that a 13 year old boy has died, but this wasn't even a lock. There should be warning signs every 10m down the towpath?

[Naughty Cal]

No signs to warn that jumping into the canal is a bad idea for a non-swimmer? Tragic that a 13 year old boy has died, but this wasn't even a lock. There should be warning signs every 10m down the towpath?

But what if you jump in 5m from where a sign is?

[WotEver]

Desperately sorry that a 13 year old has lost his life but signs? As others have posted, to say what? If you jump into water and you can't swim it might be dangerous?

[Paul Evans]

I think it was a lock. The report says he was recovered when the lock was emptied. But I take your point - should CRT sign every lock?

[WotEver]

I'm a very poor swimmer. I fell into a lock (slipped off the gunwales on a yoghurt pot on the Avon) but was able to make it to the ladder and even kept hold of the windlass. Signs wouldn't have helped me but more common sense at the time might have.

[mross]

There have been lots of campaigns to warn parents of the dangers of water. Drowning is the most obvious risk. I wonder what percentage of the general population is aware of the health risks of swimming in our rivers and canals? I spent years living on the Avon and swam every summer even though sewage regularly entered the rivers back then. Guess I was lucky not to get Weil's disease.

Edited November 24, 2016 by mross

[Machpoint005]

If there had been signs, would the boy have taken any notice of them? Would he even have been able to read them?

Is the fact that the original link is to the Daily Heil at all relevant?

[Athy]

This is an extremely sad incident, but is surely nobody's fault but the boy's - unless perhaps he was egged on by friends who could swim.

[bizzard]

There have been lots of campaigns to warn parents of the dangers of water. Drowning is the most obvious risk. I wonder what percentage of the general population is aware of the health risks of swimming in our rivers and canals? I spent years living on the Avon and swam every summer even though sewage regularly entered the rivers back then. Guess I was lucky not to get Weil's disease.

Or Bubonic plague, Typhoid I think. Which, I believe can suddenly manifest itself years and years after the dunking. Any sign of any enormous pustules breaking out?

Edited November 24, 2016 by bizzard

[Jerra]

This is an extremely sad incident, but is surely nobody's fault but the boy's - unless perhaps he was egged on by friends who could swim.

That is how I see it as well. However it would be a grieving parents natural reaction to want to blame somebody and think of what would have stopped it. In their view (while grieving) a simple sign would have solved the problem, in the cold clear light of not being involved we can see all sorts of problems with that view.

 

Extremely sad whatever the situation.

[mross]

Or Bubonic plague, Typhoid I think. Which, I believe can suddenly manifest itself years and years after the dunking. Any sign of any enormous pustules breaking out?

no signs yet! It was 40 plus years ago. I think I got away with it.;-)

[dor]

Warning: Canals may contain water.

[David Mack]

I think it was a lock. The report says he was recovered when the lock was emptied. But I take your point - should CRT sign every lock?

 

It says he climbed down a ladder to water that was a foot below bank level, So it sounds like a full lock. It also says it was about 9 feet wide, which is clearly wrong, but does suggest a narrow section rather than the main canal channel.

[Chewbacka]

I sometimes wonder if we try to make everything too safe so people loose the ability to see danger.

So now there is this tragic drowning, last summer there were youngsters swept out to sea swiming in fast running currents, every time there are big storms people stand on the sea front and someone gets swept away by a big wave.

There is constant pressure for railtrack to put footpath bridges over the tracks rather than allowing people to walk across as it is 'so dangerous' to cross the tracks. Actually it is a lot easier and safer to cross the tracks than crossing just about any road.

 

How many children now walk to school or are allowed to play in the street? Certainly below about 13 it is very few, but the downside is they don't develop proper road sense and lack exercise. This is also building up health problems for the future.

 

A bit of danger makes people aware otherwise we become complacent and a bit lazy as a society and that is not healthy.

[David Mack]

Putting signs at a lock allows people to say "something was done", but can only have any effect at that particular location, and in reality a sign is likely to make very little difference. Teaching children to swim, and teaching them about the dangers of water *anywhere* is surely much more likely to save lives.

[Horace42]

Extremely sad and condolences to the parents. Apart from the doubtful effectiveness of a sign, and the merits of responsibility for training, why not as gesture of goodwill and concern,for CRT to immeediately erect a simple sign just at that place.

[Tuscan]

Signs aren't the answer but school swimming lessons might have been

[Phil.]

I see three issues with this report.

 

1. The coroner is at fault for perpetuating the nanny state nonsense that not enough has been done to prevent accidents.

 

2. The child was foolhardy, presumably he knew before he took the decision to jump into the water he could not swim.

 

3. The biggest fault by far is with the parents. Not teaching a child to swim is neglect. Swimming is a life skill and parents who fail to teach it or at least arrange for it to be done have failed in their parental responsibility.

[MHS]

Extremely sad and condolences to the parents. Apart from the doubtful effectiveness of a sign, and the merits of responsibility for training, why not as gesture of goodwill and concern,for CRT to immeediately erect a simple sign just at that place.

Sadly it would probably last a week or two until another 13 year old vandalised it.

[Guest]

That is how I see it as well. However it would be a grieving parents natural reaction to want to blame somebody and think of what would have stopped it. In their view (while grieving) a simple sign would have solved the problem, in the cold clear light of not being involved we can see all sorts of problems with that view.

 

Extremely sad whatever the situation.

Yes, it is a natural reaction, and anger is one of the five stages of grief.

As you say, extrmely sad.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Guest

[Cheshire cat]

Moving off topic, what happened regarding the proposed railings across the Marple Aqueduct?

[Greylady2]

Sad news poor lad, they should drum it into them at school.

[mross]

Sad news poor lad, they should drum it into them at school.

At home!