CAMPAIGNERS have called for a change in the way drownings are investigated to bring Scotland in line with the rest if the UK.
Every year, around 50 people die in the water north of the border, yet it is up to the Crown Office whether these deaths are probed by a Fatal Accident Inquiry.
In England and Wales, courts have a mandatory duty to investigate each death. Pressure group Water Safety Scotland (WSS) want the Scottish Government to introduce a similar system.
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The call forms a key part of the report 'Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy', prepared by WSS in an attempt to cut the number of accidental drowning deaths in half by 2026.
Bringing Scotland into line with other parts of Britain would require an amendment to the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016.
The WSS Data Subgroup includes RNLI, Scottish Canals and family representatives. Carlene McAvoy, Community safety development manager for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, led the report.
She said: “We compared the Scottish law with other countries such as England and Wales where the process is different and unintentional fatalities are mandatory to investigate. The fatalities report draws on the benefits of inquests and both a family perspective and rescue workers’ experience.”
Emergency services respond to a call at sea
Gillian Barclay, Family representative for the WSS Data Subgroup, said: “For families who have lost a loved one in a drowning accident the overriding reaction, after the shock, is that this tragedy should never happen to anyone else.
"It is therefore really important that lessons are learnt from every accidental drowning. For me personally, I needed to know what happened to my son the day he drowned and I know that many other parents and loved ones also want to understand what went wrong and what could have been prevented.”
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A spokesman for the Crown Office said: "Crown officials have offered to meet representatives of Water Safety Scotland to discuss shared interest in this important area of work."
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government added: “We welcome the work of Water Safety Scotland in raising awareness of the importance of water safety and in supporting local authorities to adopt best practice to suit local needs”
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