Walsall canal tragedy happened on same stretch of water where six-year-old died
A mother whose son drowned in the same stretch of Waslall canal where a four-year-old who died last week has called for the community to gather around the family.
Carol Fletcher lost her son, Gavin Lee Davis, in 1983 when he was just six years old.
On Friday, a four-year-old boy, named locally as Madiba Diaby, died after falling into the same stretch of water, next to a children's play area.
Madiba was pulled out of the water at Swannies Lane, off Razorbill Way, in Harden, but died shortly after arriving in hospital.
His death is not being treated as suspicious.
When Carol lost her son, she campaigned for something to be done to make the area safer, but nothing ever was.
The 66-year-old said: "It has brought it all back but I have learnt to deal with it and cope with it.
"I can’t believe there is an open stretch of canal next to a children’s play park.
"Seeing people asking where the mother was has broken my heart.
"It only takes one second and your life has changed forever."
Carol added: "I just want to say to the mother, we are here as a community, their life will never be the same.
"The area has to be secure, we need to protect the kids."
The area is regularly used as a play area by children and is right next to a playground which is surrounded by a fence.
Nearby residents were in mourning at the news on Friday evening, with some not wishing to speak due to still being in shock.
The sentiment that fencing needs to be put up is something which was echoed by resident and mother Kinga.
She said: "It is very scary, I just don’t know how something like that could happen.
"I will not let my kids anywhere near the canal, it is not safe.
"The canal is dangerous, there needs to be a fence around it.
"Right now, it is cold and not many kids are playing.
"But in the summertime, they are all playing around there, sitting near the water.
"It needs a high fence around it so a child is not able to climb."
Pete Smith, Blakenall ward councillor, is in the process of finding out who is responsible for any safety work that needs to be carried out.
He said: "This terrible tragedy that has occurred has shocked me as a local councillor and residents of the Waterskeep estate and the wider Blakenall community.
"Our collective thoughts are with this four-year-old boy's family.
"There is a stretch of the canal which is unfenced and very close to a children's play area and a couples of metres from properties.
"I am in the process of ascertaining which organisation is responsible for fencing off this open aspect to the canal.
"It may be whg, it may be the canal trust, it may be the council but I am sure there will now be calls if not demands that the canal should be fenced off on the side where properties and a play area is located."
