DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE'S SON DROWN: Campaign launched to prevent more tragedies

Mel Goodship, whose 17-year-old son James died in Lake Burwain, in Foulridge, last summer, has launched a campaign to have ropes, lifebuoys and lifejackets installed at the beauty spot to try and save ‘totally preventable deaths’.

The plumbing apprentice from Colne, had been playing on the makeshift raft with seven friends on the reservoir during warm weather when he got into difficulty.

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A coroner said the death of the teenager, who had just completed his first year at Burnley College, was ‘a very, very cruel accident’.

Since his death, the community has rallied together to collect £9,500 in James’s memory, enabling his family to buy a headstone and create a memorial garden at Colne Citadel.

Mrs Goodship said although the campaign for the safety gear would not bring her son back, she wanted to help prevent any other families going through what they did.

TRIBUTE: James’ father, Pete, and mum, Mel, with the ‘J’ mosaic, at the James Goodship Memorial Garden, Colne.

The 41-year-old said: “I just want to make sure sure this does not happen to anyone else. Even if it just saves one person the campaign will be worth it.

“We raised all of this money and we bought a headstone and we wanted to create a memorial garden.

“In June, it will be 12 months since we lost James and so getting the equipment is my last goal.

“It will mean that something beautiful can come out of such a tragedy.

“At the moment, there is nothing at the reservoir. We need ropes, life rings and other things that will aid people getting out of the water.

“It might not have saved James’s life, but it might have made the group think twice about getting into the water because the equipment is there for a reason.

“The circumstances might also have been different if there was something there to pull him out of the water.”

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Colne to pay their respects at James’s funeral. In the months following his death, the community help raise cash for a headstone for him.

Other cash raised went on creating a special garden where James’s family and friends, as well as others who did not know him could go for quiet reflection.

The garden, in Market Place, opened the day after what would have been James’s 18th birthday, on March 13.

Mrs Goodship said: “It is more than what we ever could have dreamed. It really is a gorgeous area to be used not just by James’s friends, but the whole community.

“Over the last couple of weeks, we have really put in a lot of work to get the garden finished, but it looks amazing.

“Everyone has pulled together and the help we have received has been overwhelming.”

Mrs Goodship added that being allowed to install the safety equipment would be part of a lasting legacy for her son.

She said: “My last wish is for some life-saving equipment at the reservoir.”

Andrew Stephenson, who raised the issue of water safety with Prime Minister David Cameron following James’s death, said he supported the family’s campaign.

He said: “I have contacted the Canal and River Trust, which managers the reservoir, directly to express my support for anything we can do to improve safety around the water.

“I think it is vitally important and I applaud James’s family for what they are doing.”

Insp Paul Goodall added: “James’s family wanted to do something positive in his name and they have been putting their efforts into trying to encourage youngsters to think twice before even considering getting into the water.

“We are very supportive of the campaign and we are fully behind every effort they are making to try and save lives.”

Chantelle Seaborn, waterway manager for the Canal & River Trust, said: “Obviously like James’s family and friends, we are keen to see some good come out of the terrible accident which occurred last summer.

“We have been working with Burwain Sailing Club, who have been in touch with the family, to help to promote water safety and potentially supervised safe swimming in the lake.”

Anybody wishing to help Mrs Goodship with the campaign can send an email to lollie13@ntlworld.com