A Chorley mum, who has spent years campaigning for increased water safety after her son drowned, has been left feeling devastated following the death of Noah Woods.
Beckie Ramsay has spent years campaigning for better water safety since her 13-year-old son Dylan drowned in 2011, at Hill Top Quarry in Whittle-le-Woods.
She is calling for urgent action after three-year-old Noah was found dead in a lake near a playground in Brantham, Suffolk.
Beckie said: "As soon as I saw how close the water was to the park, I had a feeling in my gut he would be in the water.
"People underestimate how dangerous open water can be."
She said the tragedy showed the need for stronger water safety measures and national leadership.
On August 21, long before Noah was reported missing, Beckie launched a petition calling for a minister of state specifically for water safety.
It is hoped this minister will be in charge of any safety standards relating to bodies of open water, as well as safety equipment, signage, maintenance, and fencing by open waters.
Beckie said: "I have a petition running as I want to get a water safety minister in place.
"I want somebody specifically designated to water safety and water safety alone so things like this don’t happen again.
"We can have extra lighting or water safety signs with pictures and not just words, so even young people might understand to stay away from open water.
"There's no knowing if this would have made a difference in this case, but that is why we need a water minister in place so they can surround all bodies of water and warn people that these bodies of water are dangerous.
"CCTV around all open water would also be a great step.
"We need to make sure these tragedies do not happen again."
Beckie also sent her condolences to Noah’s family.
She said: "I want to pass on my condolences to Noah's family.
"He captured the heart of the nation. I haven’t stopped crying for three days."
Noah became separated from a relative after visiting a playground in Brantham.
Police divers later recovered his body from a nearby lake known locally as Decoy Pond.
Around 1,300 people joined the search for Noah, who police said was non-verbal, partially deaf and undergoing an autism assessment.
In 2021, Beckie founded the Doing It For Dylan Foundation in memory of her son to raise awareness of the dangers of open water and promote drowning prevention.
She has since visited schools and spoken to children about water safety.
Her work was recognised in 2019 when she received a British Empire Medal for preventing water-related accidents.
More than £80,000 had been donated by Friday morning to a fundraiser supporting Noah’s family, which was set up by the Good Dads Club.
Suffolk Police said Noah’s death was not being treated as suspicious.
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