The Issue: Do we need more safety barriers to protect people on city’s riverbanks?

Jayne Madden, resident of Weirs Lane, Oxford

As a resident of Weirs Lane for more than 50 years, I do think more barriers are necessary and would be hugely beneficial. There any many ways to prevent tragedies like the one that has just occurred.

The barriers would help if they were higher, as a child could go over the top and into the river and also the bridges need barriers where the weirs are.

Barriers would help when boat racing is on, barriers would help when there is flooding, barriers would help bike riders and walkers and barriers would stop so many deaths.

We need barriers now to save lives.

As well as the barriers, would it be viable to employ a warden to patrol the river to ensure that people are not up to no good?

Would it be viable to give out budget life vests to children? More life-saving equipment riverside is needed and so are ways to stop vandals vandalising them.

Too many lives are being lost due to carelessness.

Why are children of all ages and gender not taught to swim or taught life-saving skills?

Why is the Environment Agency not visiting schools and educating pupils on the river?

Why are there not more signs actually at the riverside alerting you of the dangers?

So many questions that need to be answered. The summer holidays are fast approaching as well as it being fishing season.

It is not a matter of if this were to happen again, it is a matter of when.

I can honestly say that this is going to happen more and more unless things change fast and I have a terrible feeling that the next few years are going to be full of more tragic incidents.

It is time a lesson was learnt.

NO

City and county councillor John Tanner

The tragic drowning of 13-year-old Aowan Dogar, from Fox Crescent, reminds us all just how dangerous Oxford’s waterways can be.

Here was another young man with his whole life ahead of him who was taken from us by the River Thames.

The rivers and canals are part of the charm and delight of our city. But that beauty can so easily turn to horror and disaster.

The River Thames gives huge pleasure to boaters, cyclists, walkers and people fishing. But our beloved Isis can also kill.

Putting barriers along the river would be impractical and would actually make matters worse.

Fences could make it difficult for anyone who fell into the water to clamber out. Rescuers would find it more difficult to get to someone struggling in the water.

But there is plenty we can do. If we are to end the terrible pain and heartache of families losing their loved-one to the horror of a drowning accident we must do more. These are my ideas.

Local schools must educate children and young people even more about the dangers of playing and swimming near water. All our children should be learning to swim.

Every youngster should take advantage of the swimming pools provided by the city council across the city.

Families on low incomes can get free swimming sessions for their children at Oxford’s swimming pools.

Every parent should do their best to help their children learn to swim.

But of course even swimmers can drown.

More warning signs along the river may help.

Anyone vandalising the lifebelts along the river should certainly be prosecuted whenever possible.

But the truth is we all need to treat Oxford’s waterways with much more respect.

Water is essential to life but it also, far too often, takes life away.