Safety equipment installed along the River Gryfe will serve as a fitting legacy to children who have drowned, a grief-stricken mum has said.
Sharron Drennan lost her son William McNally after he was pulled from the river last month.
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The 13 year old was swimming with friends on June 2 at a section of the river, known locally as the Clay Pitts, when he got into difficulty.
He was rescued from the water by several heroic friends and was rushed to Glasgow’s Royal Hospital for Children.
The Linwood High School pupil - described as the kindest boy you could ever meet - tragically succumbed to his injuries three days later.
Now his devastated mum Sharron says she is delighted to see safety buoys and ropes installed in the place where friends and the emergency services fought so valiantly to save William.
Sharron told the Express that it was “brilliant” to see such swift action following his tragic death.
“If they save just one life then it will be so worthwhile,” she said.
“These safety buoys are in memory of William and all the people before him who have lost their lives in the River Gryfe.
“It has all been done through the police, a wider community effort and with the help of my sister.”
She added: “The next thing we want to do is to get SOS telephone boxes installed up there.
“For William, the emergency services didn’t know where they were when his friends called for help. One girl called and was able to put on the GPS on her phone and that is how they found them.
“The SOS boxes have GPS built in and there are buoy stations that have a button and that goes straight to the emergency services, so they will see where people are.
“To have all of this would be a legacy for William.
“It’s the last thing I can do for him really.”
The buoys have been installed thanks to the efforts of community volunteers, Renfrewshire Council, Elderslie Estates, and local fundraisers.
It is hoped it is the just the start of a wider set of measures that will improve water safety along the River Gryfe and other dangerous areas.
Two weeks ago, Renfrewshire Council passed a motion to develop a comprehensive water safety strategy that will look at all open waters in the area, while a working group that includes all three emergency services has already been established.
Sharron’s sister and William’s aunt, Jayne Drennan, was there to see the buoys installed at the Clay Pitts this week.
She said: “It’s far too late for us but, if needed, this can be used to hopefully prevent any further fatalities or incidents similar to what we’ve experienced.
“We are hopeful that these measures will be implemented by the local authority throughout Renfrewshire in the near future and will replicate the water safety measures already in place throughout the Clyde.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “We’re glad to be able to support the local community with the installation of safety equipment along the River Gryfe following the tragic incident last month.
“While this section of the river is private land, we are installing GPS signage at six locations along the banks of the river and providing secure poles to hang the life-belts, which have been donated by Glasgow Humane Society.
“Water safety has, and continues to be, a key focus for Renfrewshire Council and as part of our ongoing work in this area, our water safety policy will go the appropriate council board for approval later in the year.
“We have also established a formal working group with a number of our partner organisations to address and monitor the issue and we will continue to work closely with our communities to improve water safety wherever we can.”
