Opinion

Safety in water paramount

IN JANUARY 2004 a 14-year-old boy went to the pier in Killough. Within a very short period of time he had been washed out to sea and died within sight of a multitude of people who were helpless to save him.

This month Jordan Murdock would have turned 30, a milestone birthday which his mother Carrie marked by visiting his grave rather than organising a birthday party.

The mother-of-five has an important message for all parents and children in today’s edition, asking them to make their children conscious of their own safety in water as the summer months approach. As she points out, currents can be deceptive and they can leave even the strongest swimmers struggling to stay near the shore.

It is important this summer that we are safety conscious if considering going into water, whether at the seaside or in a river, lake or reservoir. We should make sure somebody knows where we are and that we know where safety aids are stored.