francene--blog. Year 2013
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August 6th

8/6/2013

 
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A man and a teenage boy have drowned at a reservoir at Ardrossan in North Ayrshire, Scotland. After the pair had gone into the water at Mill Glen Dam in Millfarm and failed to resurface, emergency services found the bodies of a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old last night. Police, ambulance, coastguard and a rescue helicopter all attended.

Mill Glen reservoir, which has a dam at its southern end, is about a mile north of Ardrossan.



Such a sad tragedy brings back a memory of how I nearly lost my daughter in a river back in the 1970's. Our family attended a picnic on the river bank with other members of an advertising agency. Children ran around playing in the shallows while the adults chatted over glasses of wine. A call must have alerted me to the water. My six-year-old son, in a great state of agitation, pointed to deeper water while he waded up to his armpits. Ahead, long blonde hair swirled below the surface. The closest men ran to grab my four-year-old daughter, who spluttered and dragged in a breath. Her brother clung to her leg while her rescuer carried her to the water's edge.

The little hero had saved her life. What was I thinking? I shudder with the realization of what could have occurred. Young mother—too casual in approach—unaware of water danger. A near fatal mistake never to be repeated. Over forty years later, the lingering effect of leukemia claimed her life.

I can only speculate on the circumstances that took the young men's lives. One could have been trying to save the other. I hate to think they might have made a suicide pact in such a beautiful, historic part of Scotland.

PictureArdrossan Castle ruins
Ardrossan (Gaelic: Àird Rosain) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland. The name "Ardrossan" describes its physical position — 'ard' from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, 'ros' a promontory and the diminutive suffix '-an' - headland of the little promontory. Ardrossan's roots can be traced back to the construction of its castle 'Cannon Hill', thought to be in around 1140, by Simon de Morville. Sir Fergus Barclay, Baron of Ardrossan was said to be in league with the Devil and in one of his dealings, he set the task for the Devil to make ropes from sand; upon failing to do so, Satan kicked the castle with his hoof in frustration and left a print.

The castle stood until 1648, when Oliver Cromwell's troops had it destroyed, taking much of the stonework to Ayr to build the fort there. The ruins still stand, but are overgrown and in a dangerous condition.

Stories like these show life to be precious and fleeting. Love those around you while you can. We can build magnificent structures, but even the ruins of castles crumble.


Cameron O'Shea link
8/5/2013 07:51:39 pm

A sad event, thanks for sharing your story with us all.
Very luckily everything was okay with your daughter.

Francene Stanley link
8/5/2013 10:27:45 pm

I regret to this day taking my eyes off my young daughter. Around water, children are so vulnerable.

Joseph Lalonde link
8/5/2013 08:17:16 pm

So sad to hear about the young men who lost their lives. So often we forget the dangers the beautiful water can present.

Francene Stanley link
8/5/2013 10:29:23 pm

Water is beautiful when viewed from safety. Who knows what pulled the young men to their doom?

Sophie Bowns link
8/5/2013 09:12:00 pm

What a horrendous tragedy, It made me remember the time when the father and Son were drowned locally to me back in 2000 :(

Francene Stanley link
8/6/2013 03:11:11 am

It's terrible when something touches you, like a drowning close by.

Susie link
8/6/2013 05:07:05 am

Very sad indeed. I can only imagine the pain the families are feeling. As far as your small daughter, these things can happen in the blink of an eye. We have a pool in our backyard and even though my grand kids are great swimmers, I am always keeping an eagle eye on them just in case of rough housing. I almost drowned as a teen when my boyfriend thought it was funny to stand on my shoulders holding me under. Since that day, I don't fear water but I do have a cautious respect for it.

Francene Stanley link
8/6/2013 06:51:19 pm

A drowning can happen in the blink of an eye. I'm glad your experience didn't put you off swimming.

K.Lee Banks link
8/7/2013 07:07:03 am

So sad, and unfortunately, so easy to have happen, sometimes with no apparent warning or distress. I read an account somewhere - wish I could remember - of a man who plunged into the water from a beach and swam out to where a family was playing and swimming around their boat.

When they saw this man swimming toward them, they thought it was because they had been fooling around and yelling a lot. They tried to tell him they were fine, and he yelled at them to get out of the way -- their own daughter was drowning just a few feet from them and they never noticed! He saved her as her head went below the surface.

Yeah, water -- like fire -- can be wonderful and serene -- or horrible and deadly!



Francene Stanley link
8/7/2013 07:21:25 pm

What a powerful story. It raised goose-bumps. Thank goodness, the man was observant.


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    Author

    Francene Stanley, author of many published novels. If you like my writing, why not consider purchasing one of my books? You'll see them on the sidebar below.
    Born in Australia, I moved to Britain half way through my long life.

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