Little Lucas - another summer holiday nightmare.

I certainly wouldn't have let my children stand right by a fast flowing river unless I was right next to them or they were standing well away from the edge.
When we travelled on boats I used to put reins on the 5 yr old and my ex used to also put a life jacket on them when we were near or on rivers.

In which case he definitely should have been wearing a life jacket.

Sadly, the worst people for wearing life jackets are those who fish from boats.

One wouldn't wish a tragedy like this on one's worst enemy. I do however hope that if anyone reading this thread has grandchildren or know any children who go on water or go out with friends and family members who go fishing from boats, they will tell them how important it is that everyone, not just children wear life jackets.

Doodle I understood he was stepping between the jetty and their boat
The schoolboy was attempting to climb onto the boat while on a fishing trip with his parents

I agree Monica the first thing I thought was was the little chap not in a life jacket Such a terrible tragedy and those parents lives will never be the same
Living by the sea we have an excellent lifeguard service with flags showing you where to swim even as older teens my grandkids still swim with in the flags as it’s second nature to them but the amount of people that take no notice and swim in other parts. Why oh why the sea and rivers can always be so dangerous even when they look perfectly safe

I had a child who was drawn to water like iron filings to a magnet and we learned to keep a very very tight hold on her when near water. As I said we were dinghy sailors and she had a life jacket from a very young age - and wore it a lot, because of her determination to commune with it. We hired a cruiser on the Broads once and in every picture from that holiday, unless we were in a town centre or well away from the water she is wearing a life jacket.

So very sad ?

I often walked along the riverbank with my DGC feeding the ducks etc and never put a life jacket on them (would you?). I expect his poor mum and dad thought he would be quite safe on the jetty. Whatever, I feel so sorry for them. Their loss must be overwhelming. So very sad.

Lessismore, you were absolutely right, I have done similar. Nowadays any reputable boat hire company will insist on them, but hobby sea fishermen, are hard to convince until a tragedy like this, brings it home to them.

Regarding life jackets, I once made a scene in the Lake District demanding we should have them for a little trip on a rowing boat.
It scares me.

Terrible, his little shiny bright face.

I think we were all hoping and praying that he would somehow be found alive, even though we expected he wouldn't. I feel incredibly sad - I can't begin to imagine how his family must be feeling.

Like others have said I can't begin to imagine what his poor family is going through at the minute. I think it was his father who tried to rescue him wasn't it? Poor man must be devastated. Just too sad.

Unimaginable. A lifetime of sorrow.

It really is too sad, I can't imagine how painful this is for the family, especially the adults who tried to rescue him.

It is a terrible tragedy, and my heart goes out to his family ?

Monica I agree that if he was not wearing a life jacket it obviously contributed to the poor little mites demise.

Safety on and around water is so important.

As far as I can see this poor child was not wearing a life jacket. When will people learn that if you are on open water, whether river, lake, resevoir or the sea, you must wear a life jacket and that this is absolutely essential for children.

As ex-dinghy sailors, we never allowed our children on water with out a life jacket, but despite everything police, ROSPA and Coast Guards say, people still do it.

Pamela I hope your friend's grandchildren will be wearing life jackets when they set out to sea with their grandfather, who should also be wearing one.

I can’t even bear to think about it. I’ve been avoiding this thread since I signed in this morning.
But it kept being there.
Poor poor family.
I was talking to a friend yesterday and she was telling me that her DGC were going fishing later.(in a boat- on the sea) with her husband. ?

Yes I thought about my little grandsons when he went missing. They are so quick and lively at that age. Bless him, the family must be devastated.