'I was there when Chris was found. I saw his body, he was so young and fit'

Gwyn Roberts, now water safety lead for North Wales Fire and Rescue and the mum whose teenage son died in a Welsh river join forces to campaign for drowning prevention. Education editor Abbie Wightwick reports

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BROUGHT together by tragedy, Debbie Turnbull, whose teenage son, Chris, drowned in a river, and one of the young rescuers who eventually found his body are campaigning for better water safety.

Gwyn Roberts was just 21 and on his first water “shout” with North Wales Fire and Rescue (NWFRS) when his crew got the emergency call to Afon Llugwy, in Capel Curig, Eryri National Park.

The events of that summer day and the death of 15-year-old Chris affected Gwyn deeply and eventually led to a career in drowning prevention. Meanwhile, Debbie, who had never met Gwyn until recently, channelled her dreadful loss into UK-wide water safety work.

They didn’t meet on the bleak day when Chris went swimming with friends and never returned. All Debbie knew was that rescuers had gone into the torrent and scoured the riverbanks for her son. For Gwyn that day in 2006 was life changing too.

"I was quite young, had just turned 21. Chris was 15 so I was only six years older, and to be honest I was still in the same mindset as most of the young people not appreciating the dangers of water," says Gwyn.

"I was there when Chris' body was found. It was very sad. I saw his body and he was so young and fit and a strong swimmer. But it’s not enough. It makes you realise that anyone can drown but no-one should. You can drown in half a pint of water.

"I felt quite shaken, and as the years went on it hit me, going out to more body retrievals and calls for drownings. It inspired me to follow a career in preventative water safety.”

Meanwhile, within weeks of losing Chris, Debbie, who lives in Flintshire, went into his school, Ysgol Eiras, to talk to pupils about the risks of swimming in rivers. She later launched the nonprofit organisation River and Sea Sense to raise awareness of water safety.