River death widow urges people to take care after Shrewsbury incidents
A river safety campaigner is urging Salopians to take care near the water after three serious incidents including the death of a young man.
Kirsty Walsh, an ambassador for West Mercia Search and Rescue, has been campaigning and giving talks on river safety since her husband Shane died after falling into the river in Frankwell, in Shrewsbury, in 2017.
Sadly, history has repeated itself in recent days, after the death of 31-year-old Toby Jones was confirmed. Firefighters rescued him from the river at Victoria Quay last Friday night, but he later died in hospital.
Another man remains fighting for his life in hospital after being pulled from the river in a separate incident on Sunday night. He had earlier been involved in an altercation in the Nag's Head pub, according to police.
Meanwhile, the search for 21-year-old Nathan Fleetwood is also still ongoing, after he went missing on March 27. Searches have been concentrated around the river near Kingsland Bridge.
The incidents brought back painful memories for Kirsty, and she sought to urge people to take as much care as possible near the river.
"It is really difficult," she said. "It's really hard when I see things on social media. It takes me straight back to the moment. It's literally as if it plays in a loop in my head. I put myself in their position.
"My heart goes out to the other families going through this, regardless of the circumstances. Whenever I see something like this I just hope for positive outcomes for the families.
"As much as it's great that 2,250 people have done the Home and Dry water course, there is always more work to be done. The course has been really effective at raising awareness about water safety. But the harsh fact is that sometimes accidents happen. The impact of losing someone is huge."
She added: "I've seen on social media that people have been going out searching (for Nathan). I would urge anyone searching to run through the information on the West Mercia Search and Rescue page (facebook.com/wmsar - post dated March 31)."
Kirsty also believes there needs to be more CCTV along the river. During the floods, a man who was chest deep in water was rescued in Smithfield Road after a CCTV operator spotted him and notified the fire service.
"That incident in itself proves how much CCTV is needed," said Kirsty. "I know it comes down to funding, but someone's life was saved.
"More CCTV is needed in Shrewsbury. With Shane, we got answers to what happened because of the CCTV. It must be so hard when families don't get answers."
In terms of advice for people, she said: "Just keep yourself safe. Know your surroundings. If you're going on a night out, plan how you're getting home. Stay with your friends."
West Mercia Search and Rescue has published safety advice for people to stay safe around the river.
They said: "The majority of accidental drownings happen to people who did not intend to get in to the water. Slips, trips and slides in to water are life-threatening, even shallow water, so stay well away from any water course. We recommend at least three metres/10ft from any bank."
