Water safety report on anniversary of child’s drowning in Newbury canal

Three years after a little boy drowned in the canal in Newbury, officials have published an updated report into water safety in the district.

Three-year-old Dylan Milsom had been feeding ducks with his family when he fell into the Kennet and Avon Canal near Victoria Park on March 13, 2021.

His mother Shelley Nardini had jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to find her son.

Following the incident, West Berkshire Council officers and representatives from the Canal and River Trust and emergency services came together to look at measures that could be implemented to prevent future loss of life from accidental drowning.

After Dylan’s death water safety cabinets, with throw lines, were installed near the Waterside Centre and Victoria Park and now a further one has been put in at Northcroft Park. There is also one at Pangbourne Meadow.

The Water Safety Partnership said it is also working with Pangbourne Parish Council to look at ways to discourage jumping or tombstoning from Whitchurch Bridge.

Within three months of the tragedy, new railings were also installed near to the site where Dylan fell into the water.

There has been one reported water related fatality in West Berkshire over the last 12-month period.

The incident in Newbury involved a male returning home from the town centre at night and falling into the canal in the Mill Lane area, the report said.

It added that contact has been made with the Street Pastors in Newbury for their assistance in spreading the word about the dangers of water when walking home from a night out.

The report also noted that two vulnerable users of the Salvation Army building in Newbury town centre fell into the River Kennet opposite the building. Both had to be rescued by the fire service and it was classed as a ‘near miss’.

The incident occurred on private land with the two men falling over a low barrier and now a discussion is ongoing with the landowner to make this area more secure.

The Water Safety Partnership also keeps up to date with incidents county-wide to ensure it is aware of current issues and takes any learnings from those incidents.

One such incident has involved the death of a 10-year-old boy in the River Kennet in the Elgar Road area of Reading.

Now representatives of the Water Safety Partnership have been liaising with Reading Borough Council about the establishment of a Reading Water Safety Partnership.

On average, around 250 people lose their lives in accidental drownings in the UK every year, with hundreds more having near drowning experiences, sometimes suffering life-changing injuries. And children can be particularly at risk.

Roughly 40 per cent of deaths happen while people were out walking or running, in comparison to approximately around 20 per cent, who lose their life while swimming.

West Berkshire is home to a number of significant water courses and bodies, some of which extend through our urban areas, which can significantly increase the risk of accidental drowning.

A range of educational activities around the dangers of water are planned across the district this year.