Family of teenager who drowned at Scotsman's Flash call for more safety around open waters

ITV Granada Reports journalist Anna Youssef spoke to Alex Crook's heartbroken father.

The grieving dad of a 15-year-old boy who drowned in a lake is calling for greater safety equipment around open waters.

Alex Crook died after getting into difficulty at Scotsman's Flash in Wigan in September, he had gone to the lake with a group of friends, but none of them knew how to swim.

The teenager had just started year 11 and had been made a prefect.

Now his heartbroken dad Neil says he wants to raise awareness of the dangers of the open water, and stop others suffering a similar tragedy.

Alex drowned after wading into the water before suddenly disappearing. It is believed he was under the water for six minutes before being rescued by a passerby.

Neil says he only realised something was wrong when he received a call from an unknown number where the called told him: "You need to come to Scotsman's Flash. Alex has been involved in an accident".

"I think I remember saying 'what's happened, is he ok?' and she said no," Neil said. "Obviously at that point he had been pulled out of the water and he wasn't breathing."Alex was taken to hospital but died a short time later. The teenager's family are now fundraising to get signs and safety equipment installed in the area.

Beckie Ramsey’s son Dylan drowned in a quarry in 2011 when he was 13. She met with Neil at Scotsman's Flash to offer support.

Since Dylan's death Beckie has campaigned tirelessly for water safety, and says the warnings are not good enough at the site.

"There hasn't been a single sign the whole way down here," she said. "There hasn't been a single piece of life-saving equipment down here.

"We are at three bodies of open water here and this body as you can see- with this brick wall- behind us is so enticing in the summer months for children and young people and young adults even to just jump off here.

"There is not a single sign saying how deep it is. There is not a single sign or pole around.

"There are trip hazards, foliage everywhere. The council needs to pull its finger out while people are continuing to die."

Wigan Council, who manage the area, said it is exploring "all options" to prevent similar tragedies.

A spokesperson said: “The safety of the public is always our top priority and we have met with Alex’s family a number of times as we explore all options to prevent similar tragedies in the future, whether through education or future improvements at the nature reserve.”