A mum has spoken out more than two decades after her son drowned in the same quarry where a Southport teen died earlier this month.
Ann Croston from Platt Bridge in Wigan spoke about the death of her son not long after returning from his grave to lay flowers. Craig Croston drowned in the water-filled Dawber Delph in Appley Bridge on September 26, 1999, after he went swimming with friends.
The well-loved 17-year-old was the first to die in the quarry with his death being followed by that of 13-year-old Miracle Godson, a promising rugby player at the same quarry in 2015. Since then the death toll at the quarry has risen to three following the death of 16-year-old Jamie Lewin on July 9.
READ MORE: Family want people to line route of 'loveable' son's funeral
Ann, 62, told the sister publication Lancs Live : “My stomach just turned - it happens every time as it brings it all back, you just think what are those parents going through; it’s every parent’s worst nightmare.”
She added: “It was a Sunday morning on the 26th of September and he went out with all his friends, and they went to this quarry. Apparently, Craig jumped off one of the ledges, swam the full length of the quarry and got to the other side.
“He climbed up the hill to go back and jumped into the water again, and when he got halfway across, friends said they could see there was something happening, and then he just disappeared from sight.” She was alerted of her son’s disappearance by a phone call, and rushed straight down with family members to the quarry, to find police divers and specialist search teams looking for her son.
She said: “A policeman said to me, it wasn’t looking good, they had had a report of a young boy being in the water and then going under and he hadn’t reappeared. Obviously, I was hysterical.
“I tried to run down past the police to the water and they wouldn't let me, they were telling me to calm down. I started having panic attacks after about an hour so a family member brought me back home and called the doctor.
“Within about half an hour of me returning home, we got the phone call to say that they had found him, and they took him to Ormskirk Hospital. I was just devastated; they had to get a doctor to prescribe me tablets to calm me down, but I ended up not taking them because I wanted to know where my son was.
“I never slept, I stayed awake all night and the next day his uncle had to go and identify his body because the doctor said I was in no fit state to. I never slept for about two days. Craig had one older brother and three sisters, one of whom was pregnant at the time. I could not even tell them, and his sister who was pregnant ended up going into premature labour with the stress of it all.”
Ann has now issued a heartbreaking warning to people. She said: “Don’t do it, would be my message. I don’t think people realise today, and when Craig went to the quarry, there were no warning signs. I still go to the quarry, to throw red roses into the quarry in Craig’s memory.
"Many times when I have been there to do that, you have got groups of young lads and girls. You go up to them to explain Craig's story, and sometimes they do listen, but other times, they walk off and ignore you. I say, before you go into that quarry, just think about how devastated your parents would be if anything happened to you.
"Our Craig would not have gone in if he had known the dangers - he was a good swimmer as well.”
What the council said:
A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said regarding the tragedy of last week: "This is a terribly tragic incident and our thoughts go out to the boy's family at this really difficult time. Through our schools we support Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's campaign on water safety, which highlights the need to stay safe around open water, and would urge people to follow the advice especially as the weather remains warm.
"In terms of this site, while planning permission for a ramp was turned down last year, the owners of the quarry have used their permitted development rights to construct a smaller ramp. This did not need planning permission. Draining the site of water requires a licence from the Environment Agency, and we understand an application for this is currently being determined by the Agency."
What the owner of the quarry said:
A spokesperson for Maybrook Investments Ltd, which owns East Quarry in Appley Bridge, urged people to stay away: “The owners and staff at Maybrook are deeply saddened at the tragic death at East Quarry on 9th July 2022 and would like to pass their condolences to his family and friends.
“Our team has been maintaining the perimeter fencing and working with the emergency services to discourage young people from entering the site. Despite the tragedy of the weekend there are still groups of youths attempting to access the quarry. We appeal directly to them: please stay away and stay safe.
“As for the future of the quarry, the emergency access is very nearly complete and Maybrook has already prepared a Certificate of Lawfulness Application to drain, fill and re-water the quarry. Given the delays and objections rather than wait for the determination of a planning application for development of the site, which could take years, we decided in late 2021 that we would just remove the attraction and the danger it poses by reducing the depth of the water within the quarry to between 0.5 and 1m by raising the level of the Quarry floor.
“The external appearance quarry would be the same, but it would be safe. Upon issuing of the certificate Maybrook will be able to commence the drainage and works. In view of the clear and ongoing risk to life Maybrook plead with the council to issue the certificate immediately and without further delays or obstacles. We would be grateful if interested parties could provide us a letter supporting the application.”
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