The family of a 14-year-old boy who tragically drowned in the Thames last year have called for parents to warn their children against the dangers of open waters.
Aspiring footballer Brian Sasu jumped off a bridge into the Thames at Tagg’s Island in Richmond on July 18 last year, where he had gone with friends on one of the hottest days of the year.
He went missing in the water at the popular swimming spot and drowned. His body was found the next day.
Speaking to mark World Drowning Prevention Day on Tuesday, Brian’s parents issued a moving plea for greater safety awareness in the wake of the tragedy.
“Brian was a lovely teenage boy, an aspiring footballer, but now we’ll never know if that could have ever happened,” said his father, George.
“Last year, Brian and I left the house going to school as usual. On the way we were talking about how Brian said he was going to pick up his little brother.
“Around 12.30pm, I rang him because his school finished early, and he told me he was going to go out with his mates. I told him I would get his brother, so he just needed to go back home.
“I called his phone, but he wasn’t answering and before I knew it, the police were knocking on my door telling me that my son had gone into the river.
“I want to tell parents to talk to their children about the dangers of open waters so that what happened to Brian won’t happen to their own children. If they’re spending time near the riverside with the warmer weather, please tell them not to jump in because it’s so dangerous.”
The family has backed a campaign by the London Fire Brigade for councils in London to ensure waterways in their boroughs have appropriate safety measures in place.
An inquest at West London Coroner’s Court earlier this year heard there were no clear warning signs or safety equipment in the area where Brian jumped.
A throwline board has since been installed in Brian’s memory from where he jumped into the river at Tagg’s Island, along with clearer warning signs.
The London Fire Brigade said that last year it attended twice as many incidents where a person sadly drowned than the previous year.
Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, Charlie Pugsley, said: “What happened to Brian was a complete tragedy, but out of this tragedy we hope the lessons learned will prevent anything like this happening again.
“We have seen a number of throwline boards installed by order of the coroner after someone has sadly drowned.
“We want to see this happen before a life is lost, so we’re asking local authorities and landowners to act now before it’s too late.”
The water of the Thames can be extremely cold even when the weather is hot, the shock of which can cause swimmers to panic and gasp for breath, taking in water.
Firefighters advise those who get into difficulty in the water to “float to live” by rolling onto your back and floating until your breathing is under control.
To mark World Drowning Prevention Day, the Fire Brigade is also holding a water safety event at Teddington Lock, encouraging members of the public to learn how to use public rescue equipment and giving out important water safety advice.
