Family of man who drowned joins West Mercia water safety campaign
"I've spoken to all my friends from school, to the girls that I've met at uni, and I've always said to them 'just please stay away from the water'."If you want to go home before everyone else I'm coming with you, we'll get in an Uber together, we're not going anywhere near the river."The Home and Dry campaign aims to encourage people to be aware of the dangers of water. It operates across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
The Jones family are determined to save more lives, and Ellie said she believed some people did not appreciate the danger that water could pose."I think we're doing everything we can, it's just whether they want to listen," she said."I'd hope people were listening, because I wouldn't want anyone else to experience what we have had to go through."She said when she moved to university she got friends to walk the route into town in daylight."Do the reccy sober, do them in the daylight, and make sure all your friends know to stay safe."Ian Jones, Tom's father, added: "I took Tom back to uni, and I shook his hand, and I didn't see him again. I can't have any other family going through that, it's just not worth it."
Andy Neal, a volunteer from West Mercia Search and Rescue, was involved in the search for Tom Jones.He was also part of live water rescue demonstrations in Ironbridge on Friday."The big thing that we're trying to warn people about is cold water shock," he said."Even in the hot sun, what you tend to get is a warm layer of water on the top... and just underneath it can be very cold."He said agencies were also keen to teach water safety in schools."Prevention is better than cure - we'd rather be spending our time teaching people about it than pulling them out as a body."
Simon Cusack, group commander at Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, added that they wanted people to enjoy the beautiful rivers, canals and reservoirs in the area, but to do so safely.
What to do if you or a friend are in trouble
Roll on to your back, and stretch out your arms and legsShout for helpIf you are on the bank, do not enter the waterCall 999Source: Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue ServiceAdditional reporting by James Bovill, BBC Midlands Today
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