Heartbroken Shrewsbury mum's safety vow as son dies in river 10 years after brother's death

Toby Jones, aged 31, died after being pulled from the River Severn at Victoria Quay in Shrewsbury last Friday. The tragedy came 10 years after the death of his brother Ben Hughes, a talented writer who penned his popular Bucket List Ben blogs in the Shropshire Star before he died of lung failure.

Shane Gayme, mother of Toby and Ben, said: "With Ben, it wasn't easy but we knew it was coming. This is more of a shock. It was so sudden. One minute he's having a nice night out with his brothers, the next he's gone. I'm trying to get my head around that. It's just a lot.

"I was just starting to get my life back on track. We'd just had the 10-year anniversary for Ben. He died on March 18, which was Mother's Day. I normally keep myself away from people on that day so I can process it. It's just too much.

"To lose both of them, I just wonder how I'm going to cope."

She added: "It's a tragic accident. I really want to push to help this campaign. My head's not in the right place at the moment, I need time to process this. I want to support the Make Our River Safer group and I've shared the petition. I hope the council will sit up and listen. There have been loads of others over the years. It's worth it even if it saves one life.

"It could have happened to anyone, it's not just people on a night out."

Toby had been to Theatre Severn to watch comedian Chris Ramsey with his brother Zach. The pair then went to Oil in Castle Street, before Zach went home to Wem. Toby stayed out and met his other brother Ollie, who he stayed with until around 11pm. Toby stayed out for another hour or so with friends before the tragic incident happened.

Shane said: "The police are still doing their investigations. They think he's come from The Wheatsheaf (in Frankwell) and for some reason he went down the steps by the Welsh Bridge. The camera on his phone was on so they think he was trying to see where he was going, but dropped it in the water. They think he's gone in trying to retrieve his phone. Because it's so cold he went into cardiac arrest.

"I've been told he was in the water for 15 minutes. They did CPR on him for an hour but they couldn't save him."

Paying tribute to Toby, Shane said he vowed to live life to the full in memory of his brother.

The 31-year-old would take his grandmother for a meal at The Riverside Inn in Cound every Tuesday, and had assumed the role of big brother with his younger siblings, after their older brother Ben Hughes died from lung failure.

"I want him to be remembered as the guy who was so happy and loving," said Shane. "His personality was so big. Hundreds of people have said nice things about him. They're all upset.

"He was really active. He loved his cycling. He'd go from here to Chester. He was in the gym two or three times a week. He went to Bannatyne's. They sent me a message last night.

"The Riverside Inn sent me a message as well. He used to take his nan there for a meal every Tuesday. There's so much love for him.

"He worked for Huws Gray since he was 19 and worked his way up the ladder. He'd just got a promotion to be a branch manager a month ago.

"He moved out a couple of months ago to a flat in Coleham. He said 'Mum, it's about time I stood on my own two feet'. I wish he hadn't now."

While Ben was ill, the talented writer penned his Bucket List Ben blogs in the Shropshire Star.

"He was trying to make people aware of organ donation," said Shane. "Lots of people loved Ben. He was so brave."

When Ben died, Toby followed his example, and the importance of family and making the most of life took on new meaning.

"He was 21 when Ben died and he said it was his goal to live life to the full in his memory," added Shane. "After Ben died, Toby became the big brother and started doing more with his brothers."

As well as being into cycling and the gym, Toby was a keen skater.

Shane said: "He had lots of friends through skating. He used to go up and down the country. There's a video of him doing his tricks. He was quite a perfectionist.

"All of his skating friends are doing a skating jam on April 28. They were trying to raise £100 for a plaque for him, but they've already raised £500. They said the rest of the money will go to us. We want to try and get a bench in his name, maybe in The Dingle in the Quarry. Somewhere people can sit and reflect and remember him."

Toby's death was one of three serious incidents relating to the river in a matter of days. Another man was left fighting for his life after being pulled from the river near the English Bridge in the early hours of Monday morning. Thankfully, a family member has confirmed to the Shropshire Star that he is now stable and awake after several days in hospital.

And the search is still continuing for Nathan Fleetwood, who went missing on March 27. River searches for the 21-year-old have been carried out at Kingsland Bridge, and hundreds of people have been out looking for the popular young man.

A petition for more CCTV along the river in Shrewsbury has gathered more than 3,500 signatures, and the group Make Our Rivers Safer is planning a peaceful protest and meetings with key figures on boosting safety.

Meanwhile a widow whose husband died after falling into the river in Frankwell, in Shrewsbury, in 2017, has urged Salopians to take care near the water.

Kirsty Walsh, an ambassador for West Mercia Search and Rescue, has been campaigning and giving talks on river safety.

"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."