'Bubbles started coming up and that was him gone'

The best friend of a teenager who died after getting into difficulty in a river has been describing his struggle for life.

Sayhan Sheikh, who is 18, took part in a water safety day in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, in memory of his friend, Ronalds Abele.

He said Ronalds, 17, was a strong swimmer, but got into trouble during an impromptu race in the Nene on a hot day and drowned.

His friends and family are campaigning for more safety equipment and signage on Wellingborough's embankment warning of the dangers.

Mr Sheikh and Ronalds were in a group of seven young people who decided to enjoy the warm weather on 10 May along the embankment.

Ronalds and another friend started a race in the river, but it soon became clear to Mr Sheikh that Ronalds was struggling to stay afloat.

He said: "There were pipes in the background, so I told him, 'Swim towards a pipe and pull yourself up.'

"He heard that and grabbed on to a pipe with both hands.

"Then one hand went in, and so did the other, and then bubbles started coming up and that was him gone."

Like Ronalds' parents, Mr Sheikh does not want to see anyone else going through the pain of losing someone who just wanted to enjoy the water on a hot day.

Just six weeks after Ronalds' death, they were supporting a water safety day at the embankment.

The fire service was on hand with advice on what to do if a person was struggling in the water.

Darren Carson, a prevention team leader, said: "The easiest thing to remember is 'call, tell, throw' - dial 999, tell the casualty to float on their back if they can, and 'throw' means find something buoyant that will help them float."

Also at the event was Beckie Ramsay, who started a water safety campaign in Lancashire after her son Dylan drowned in a quarry in 2011, and successfully lobbied for water safety to be included in the national curriculum.

She said more still needed to be done.

"It's frustrating - it has been put on the curriculum, but, until we see it actively being taught in schools, nothing's going to change."

Ronalds' parents, Thomas Okyere and Laura Kirsteine, hoped the event would be just the start of a drive to raise awareness and get more safety equipment.

Mr Okyere said: "If there was any safety device here on the day, it would have saved Ronalds' life."

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