Heartbroken Wellingborough friends and family show solidarity at Embankment water safety event in memory of Ronalds Abele who drowned in River Nene

Laura Kirsteine and dad Thomas Okyere held a community safety event and vigil following the death by drowning in May of their beloved son Ronalds Abele who was 17-years-old.

The event held at the Embankment on World Drowning Prevention Day saw the student’s friends who had been swimming with him the day he died join with Ronalds’ family and community leaders.

Friends and family, many wearing blue – the official colour of the day – others in t-shirts bearing Ronalds’ name, heard prayers and shared their memories of Ronalds.

Sajhan Sheikh, 18, had met Ronalds while studying at Tresham College and bonded over their ‘strict parents’ – he was on the bank of the river unable to save his friend the day he died.

The mates had gone swimming but the last time Sajhan, who is not a confident swimmer, saw his friend was when Ronalds’ body was being brought from the water by Northants Fire and Rescue Service.

It was when Ronalds looked like he was in difficulty his friends had told him to swim to a floating barrier and hold on while they called for help.

Away from road access and the busier part of the riverbank their shouts were unheard, the teenagers urgently called 999.

Sajhan said: “We thought we knew what we were doing – but we didn’t. We were just standing there. We couldn’t do anything. We had the emergency services on the phone. We told him to hold on but his hand let go – it only took him a minute and he was underwater.”

The friends watched helplessly, holding on to each other in disbelief, as they directed Northants Fire and Rescue to their location where they had been sunbathing and swimming moments before enjoying the late spring heatwave.

He added: “He was the quiet guy but he had a fun side. He never got angry, he was an angel and we loved him, he was our brother.”

The friends have been supporting each other through the past months since the incident on May 10.

Welcoming the safety day, Sajhan said: “It’s given me a bit of comfort but I wish it had happened before.”

Laura and Thomas have now installed home-made safety notices bearing Ronalds picture and a message to their son and people on the riverbank ‘tempted’ to take a swim.

It says: “It has been just a short time since we lost you to these waters.“We still don't really understand what happened on that sunny day when you were playing with friends here and you got into difficulty. We only know that we miss you everyday!

"We were shocked to get that call particularly since you were such a great swimmer, well used to swimming in the sea and open water. We have lost you, our beloved son, and we are leaving this message in the hope that anyone else tempted to take a dip in these waters will think twice or even three times before they do.

"The water may look inviting, particularly on a hot day, but many of us are just not used to being in open water and we have no idea how cold the water is or what lurks beneath it.

"For the sake of our beloved Ronalds and your family, please be aware of swimming here.”

Supporters were shown how to use throwlines and basic CPR training was given.

Just before the event started, fire officers attending the water safety event were made aware of a teenage girl who was stuck in the mud on the other side of the River Nene road bridge.

The girl, who had sunk up to her chest in the mud, was rescued by members of Northants Fire and Rescue’s Prevention Team, using throwlines.

Northants Fire and Rescue Service, staff from the Waendel Leisure Centre and Doing it for Dylan charity campaign founder Beckie Ramsay, who also lost her teenage son to drowning, were on hand to add their expertise and share their knowledge.

Beckie has successfully campaigned for water safety lessons to be taught in schools across the UK. She said she was shocked by the state of the Embankment park after they made a safety audit of the area. She urged the council to take urgent action.

She said: “They have a massive sign that says they don’t have (life-saving) equipment because it was vandalised. It’s not good enough.

"The footpath is uneven – it’s a joke. It needs better signage.

"There’s no sign there’s a weir downstream. Asking the public for money is not the answer, it’s the council and the landowners’ responsibility. The council (NNC) is just passing the buck. Just stick a sign in the land you do own.”

Attending the day Cllr Matt Binley from North Northants Council (NNC) promised council officers were looking into who owned the different parts of the riverbank.

He said: “Officers have put together a list - parts are owned by Vistry, the Environment Agency, NNC and other landowners.

"An authority can’t do everything but what I can do is bring the agencies together.

"We have to talk to Northants Fire and Rescue and put in the appropriate safety measures.

"If people need a life-saving device they should have easy access. It’s got to be down to the experts ultimately. There are guidelines as to what’s appropriate – you need a risk assessment.”

One of the few signs close to the riverbank tells visitors the lack of life-saving equipment is due to vandalism.

Cllr Binley said: “Somebody in the past has deemed it appropriate to play with, damage or steal that life-saving equipment. My frustration is with those individuals.”

Ronalds’ parents will take part in another site visit with council members, officers and community leaders on Monday morning for further discussions.

Dad Thomas said: “We are really pleased with the turn-out, seeing everyone come out I hope something positive will come out of this.

"Moving forward we want to do this annually.”

Mum Laura said: “We want action now. The summer is here and we want action.”