A grieving mother is urging authorities to improve safety standards on a Stockport canal where her son died.
Michelle Bagnall lost her son Carl in January of this year, when he drowned in the Marple aqueduct.
Carl, 26, had been seen by his mum in the early hours of the morning of January 8 leaving the house.
READ MORE: Deansgate 'gun' investigation continues as cop hunt balaclava-clad thug
He had struggled with low mood in the past, and was under the influence of both alcohol and cocaine at the time of his death, an inquest heard in July.
It ruled that Carl’s death was accidental, as the freezing temperature of the water would have made it nigh-on impossible for him to escape the canal, senior coroner Alison Mutch said.
Michelle believes Carl fell into the canal due to poor visibility.
“It’s a hotspot for people feeling low,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “You can jump into the River Goyt or drown in the canal. You cannot see anything.
“It’s so dangerous.
“It’s upset me as a mum. There are so many kids that go down there. It only takes another kid tripping to end up like Carl.
“There are no safety signs and no access for disabled people — it’s one thing after another. “The inquest said he potentially slipped on the ice and fell in or did not see the water. I just want them to do something. I asked [the Canal & River Trust] to put signs in with mental health [advice] but the board is empty and I cannot get in there.”
The 50-year-old mum says she has been speaking with the Canal and River Trust ‘since February’ over improving disabled access, visibility, and signage.
She feels like the Trust is not moving quick enough to meet her expectations — but a spokesperson for the charity says work has already started and will continue.
“I do not want him to have died in vain,” Michelle continued. “He was very popular, and I do not want to think that he is gone and nothing can be done.
“There is nothing wrong with putting a couple of safety lights up. It’s all false promises. I think about it all the time.
“If someone fell in now they would not stand a chance. They would struggle to get out. There is no way. It’s ridiculous.”
In response, a statement from the Canal & River Trust expressed their condolences to the Bagnall family, and said it will continue to listen to their concerns.
A spokesperson said: “We were deeply saddened by the tragic death of Carl Bagnall earlier this year and our thoughts remain with his family and friends.
“The Trust has been in touch with Carl’s family following his death to listen to their concerns.
“We have carried out some upgrades to the towpath and will shortly be installing some interpretation on site and we will continue to engage with Carl’s family and other stakeholders on work the Trust is doing in the area.”
