UK News
Family demand answers over schoolboy's drowning death
By Rich Bowden, M&C Staff Writer Sep 21, 2007, 12:52 GMT
(M&C) - The family of a boy who drowned while attempting to rescue his half sister have demanded to know why two police support officers standing by did not do more to save their son.
Ten-year-old Jordan Lyon drowned after jumping into a pond on May 3 in Wigan, Lancashire to assist his eight-year-old sister who had got into some difficulties. An inquest into the boy's death found last week that two police support officers made no attempt to rescue him, standing at the edge of the pond and watching the incident.
Jordan's stepfather eventually dragged the unconscious boy from the lake with the assistance of a regular police officer who had arrived on the scene after the community police officers. He was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Mr Ganderton said to reporters yesterday, "When we got there the PCSOs [police community support officers] were just stood there watching. I don't know why they didn't go in. I can't understand it. If I had been walking along a canal and seen a child drowning I would have jumped in."
Mrs Ganderton said she wanted the PCSOs named saying, "If you're walking down the street and you see a child drowning you automatically go in that water."
"You don't care if you're going to lose your job or not, you don't care do you."
"I want them to be named. I want to know why they didn't go in, I want to know why they weren't at the inquest when I had to turn up there, and go through the pain of it all."
However police have defended the support officers saying "PCSOs are not trained to deal with major incidents such as this."
"Both ourselves and the fire brigade regularly warn the public of the dangers of going into unknown stretches of water so it would have been inappropriate for PCSOs, who are not trained in water rescue, to enter the pond," said Det Ch Insp Phil Owen, of Wigan CID who led the investigation into Jordan's death.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
I don't know the full details, but I think the PCSOs involved have not lived up to what was expected of them. To wear a uniform is not enough to command respect and confidence, it has to be backed up by actions. Not attempting a rescue belies the PCSO's irrelance - why are these people dressing up, pretending to be something their patently not.
You get what you pay for. This is NuLabours idea of policing on the cheap - one step up from cardboard cutouts of full size police officers. I think these two, (the excuse was that they hadn't been trained for water rescue) should be named, shamed and dismissed. They are a disgrace.
Just before I retired from the police a standing order was given that police officers should not climb anything more than two metres high and not go within three metres of deep water! This was because of health and safety and so you couldn't claim compensation if you were injured. No real police officer took any notice.
I think its english society thats to blame. I cannot imagine two people in Scotland excusing people from letting someone be drowned because they 'had not been trained'.
It's the difference between right and wrong. And I think in England you are forgetting about the difference between right and wrong and concentrating on daft rules....like 'we were not trained so we had to let him die'...pathetic.
If someone is drowning you jump in and help. If you don't you are a coward, a pathetic or a joke.
Right enough I see signs that scotland is heading the same way...such a shame...
Best Regard Martin Higgins.
Martin,
We are led by a bunch of pansies south of the border. I used to be proud to be British but no longer. Political correctness and being mamby -pambied by the nanny state is all we get. There is no backbone in society and senior police officers no longer get to where they are by being good coppers but by being accademics and managers, basically they pass a couple of exams and if they join with a degree of any sort they are up for rapid promotion (Inspector in five years). You can't even tell a joke without the fear of arest in case you hurt some bastard's feelings. What a state to get into. I am really ashamed of those two useless articles who let that little lad drown.
Bob,
You said 'You are led by a bunch of pansies south of the border.'
But Bob...... Political correctness is IRRELEVANT to England and the UK and is also irrelevent to my post.
I value all of Scotland and all of England, unlike you.
What I do not value, is :
That people should let silly values interfere with their humanity.
What I do value is that :
All humans are of value, and should not let daftness interfere with their posts.
I am different from you bob, and you share nothing with my values bob.
I care for all human being regardless of their race or culture.
Censors, I hope you understand I am a human being and put humans first, unlike Bob. So please publish this, thankyou.
Thankyou Censors.
Martin Higgins
i have always doubted these pretend poilcemen and women.
this confirms my worse fears about them?
u do not have to be trained or have any type of special job to help a dieing child,as a mum myself i would not stop untill they were named and shamed.
i myself lost a child in a fire,yet a 79yr old man injured himself trying to rescue her.
there is no valid excuse,and it say,s a lot about the poilce force condoneing the pretend poilce,s lack of action.
my heart go,s out to the parents,and they should be very proud of there son!
Reading these messages it is very sad to see how many people react without engaging their brains.
As soon as you read that the poor boy had disappeared under the surface before the PCSO's had arrived the emotive headlines look misleading to the point of dishonesty.
They were clearly designed to imply the boy was flapping about on the surface and could easily have been rescued by the PCSO's - sadly the absolute reverse of the truth.
The news agencies whip up hysteria deliberately and they should be ashamed of themselves for exploiting the death of this little boy by misrepresnting the facts to get a good story.
The PCSO's acting quite correctly.
I strongly suspect those complaining have never tried to dive down into a pond or lake.
I have.
The cold is numbing, you cannot breath in properly, and when you dive down you can easily become entangled in all the rubbish e.g. discarded beds, trollys, rope etc.
Even wading into deep water you may find yourself stuck waist deep in mud with the water up to your neck.
Why do you think so many people die every year when trying to rescue others or their pets from water ?
To the boneheads out there - please think before offering opinions.
For blame look elsewhere.
Martin - What the hell are you on about? OK you care about humans not like me. Well it's true I don't care for people who would stand by and allow allow a child to drown. I don't care for terrorists, paedophiles, drug smugglers / dealers, rapists, or any other form of low life. Does that make me a bad person? You are clearly either deranged, or you have never had to face the reality of what bad things humans can do to each other or other creatures. I have.
Sadly for them they can demand what they like, but all they will get is obfuscation, mealy mouthed excuses and buck passing, especially from political scum and vermin like Tony McNulty.
What amazes me is how these arseholes get elected - could it be the fault of the electorate?
To protect and serve.
Themselves.
While the it-izens submit.
And to think you people were once a formidable adversary.
Ah! I shouldn't laugh. The it-izens of the uSA is becoming just like you.
Martin Higgins
You are a worthless human being. Why do you keep repeating
'bob's' name over and over. You have said nothing relevant to
the story.
Everything Bob said was true.
PC Bull is completely destroying this nation.
What about YOU marty? What would you have done?
I am 45 year old woman, Martin, I would have dived off a bridge
to save those kids, I don't have any training, Martin.
Oi, they dont have any training? what they can't doggie paddle?
Train them then, Martin !!
I have NEVER met a REAL MAN who would not risk his life or job to save the
life of A CHILD !!! Therefore those two 'coppers' are not
real men. They are pig waste, Martin, and so are you ya crazy
nutter.
I am not like YOU Martin, I value the life of children, Martin.
page: 1
VallerganSep 21st, 2007 - 15:34:00
What disgusting cowards these two 'support' Officers are. To stand by and watch while a child drowns in 6 feet of water. They should be named, shamed and thrown out of the 'service.
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