The parents of a boy who drowned in the River Tyne two years ago have said there were missed opportunities to educate children about water safety, following the death of another boy in the same part of the river on Saturday.
Emergency teams launched a large rescue operation at the weekend after reports that two boys had got into trouble in fast-moving water near Ovingham, Northumberland.
A 13-year-old boy was pulled from the river and taken to hospital but rescue teams could not save the second boy, a 14-year-old, who was later found dead in the water, Northumbria police said.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the parents of Robert Hattersley, who died in the same stretch of river on 17 July 2022, accused Northumberland council of pushing them “to one side” after they raised concerns about potential danger posed to other children by the river.
Robert, who was 13, got into difficulties while swimming with friends when he was suddenly swept under by a fast current. Search and rescue teams were deployed but his body was found later the same day.
His parents, Carl and Stella Hattersley, founded a charitable organisation, the Robert Hattersley Foundation, to promote water safety to children and highlight the dangers of swimming in rivers, in memory of their son, described as a “kind and loving lad” who loved football and playing with his friends.
They received help in setting up the organisation from the Royal Life Saving Society, a water safety charity, and their Labour MP, Liz Twist, who donated to the foundation and raised the broader issue of water safety in parliament.
However, they said they had failed to get a response from Northumberland council on a number of occasions when they had hoped for a meeting or to get water safety leaflets distributed to local schools.
Carl Hattersley said: “Questions need to be asked of the council. Why haven’t they bothered with us? They just pushed us to one side, brushed it under the table. What have they been doing for the last two years?”
He thought his son’s death had been treated as a one-off when it should have been recognised as a chance to prevent future drownings. “There were opportunities when Robert passed,” he said. “Have they done anything or nothing at all?”
He said it had been hard to maintain the momentum of the campaign when faced by red tape and closed doors, caused, he thought, by the fact that, while Robert’s death happened in Ovingham, which is part of Northumberland council, the family live across the border in a Gateshead council ward. “I feel let down by it all,” he added.
Northumberland council said water safety messaging was a “key part” of its communications with the public.
A spokesman said: “Aside from the warning signs and public safety equipment in place on council land across from where this incident took place, water safety messages have formed a key part of our wider communications activity for the general public and visitors to the county.
“The fire and rescue service has also undertaken a variety of targeted engagement work with local schools to raise awareness of water safety for young people.”
Hattersley extended his sympathies to the family of the boy who died on Saturday, saying Robert’s sudden death “came out of the blue and ricocheted right through the family” and that it was hard to accept he was gone.
He added: “We miss him quite a lot. We still expect him to come through the door to this day.”
