THE heartbroken parents of a young man who drowned in the River Clyde are calling for more safety measures around the stretch of water on the second anniversary of his death.
Duncan and Margaret Spiers have revealed exclusively for the first time to The Evening Times the circumstances in which they lost their son Christopher to the city river.
Duncan, 52, from the city’s Balornock, said: “His death has left us in turmoil. We have to go to his grave every Sunday knowing we should be there and not him.
“You stand at the grave knowing he made a mistake and he has paid with his life.”
Popular Christopher was just 28 when he slipped at the banks of the River Clyde and drowned.
The circumstances surrounding his death are a nightmare his father Duncan has relived over and over after viewing CCTV images of his son’s last moments.
His parents explained that Christopher had been on a night out at The Savoy in the city centre with two friends. He was making his way home alone to his partner David’s home in Kinning Park.
It was before midnight on January 29, 2016 when Christopher approached the Tradeston Bridge, which had been cordoned off by police officers due to an unsafe building at the Broomielaw. The building had been damaged in an ongoing storm.
His parents said Christopher spoke to the police officers about getting across the bridge after he saw two people come from the Southside towards the City Centre and go past the cordon. He was told that it was not possible and they asked him to move away. Christopher, however, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, continued down to the water’s edge where he slipped under stormy conditions but managed to grab on to the side.
He screamed for help and the police officers rushed to his aid but he fell into the water. And despite rescue attempts, he was quickly dragged out into the depths of the River Clyde as the stormy conditions worsened.
His body was recovered two days later on January 31 by George Parsonage, above, of Glasgow Humane Society.
Due to the circumstances surrounding his death, an investigation was launched by the police watchdog PIRC (Police Investigations and Review Commissioner).
The Spiers family believe the police officers had a duty of care to their son and should have done more that night to prevent him attempting to get past the cordon and onto the bridge.
But since that investigation, a ruling by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal said no further action should be taken
Margaret, 54, who is also mum to sons Jason, 32, and Craig, 28, said: “Everyone might say Christopher was an adult and he can make his own decisions. But I just feel those police officers had a duty of care towards a Glasgow citizen.”
Duncan added: “After the investigation, they said no further action would be taken but I believe morally the police officers have done something wrong. They have not put due care and caution towards my son.”
Tradeston Bridge
The family don’t want Christopher’s death to be in vain, and hope their story will raise awareness of the importance of staying safe around the River Clyde.
They have called for more police patrols at the water during peak weekend times and have asked for better CCTV coverage of the area.
Grandfather-of-four Duncan said: “Glasgow has been built around the River Clyde so it is an attraction to people. But they need to realise that water is dangerous.
“It is so sad when somebody has ended up in the River Clyde, it has happened to too many people, and it is about time that someone stood up and spoke about it. Hopefully someone will think twice in memory of my son.”
Margaret added: “We put a padlock at the River Clyde with Christopher’s name on it and it vanished. I think if everyone who has lost someone in the River Clyde were to do the same, everyone will see the amount of people that have gone in there.”
Although two years have passed since the family lost Christopher, who was described as “always smiling”, and “the life and soul of the party”, life has not got any easier.
Margaret said: “The two year anniversary hit me like a tonne of bricks, maybe even worse than last year.
“It is hard to explain the way you feel when you lose a child. Duncan has lost his four brothers, his sister, and his mum and dad but losing his child has been the worst for him.
“When it is your child it feels completely different, you are not the same.”
Duncan, who suffers from post traumatic stress following the death, visits his son’s grave every Sunday at Cadder Cemetery.
He said: “It is a pain that will never go away. It is two years and we are still raw about it.”
Glasgow City Council said its CCTV network offers extensive coverage. A spokesman said: "Operators work side-by-side with police to support officers dealing with incidents.”
A spokesman for The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal confirmed its decision for no further action to be taken against the police officers.
The spokesman said: “PIRC submitted a report to COPFS in connection with the investigation into police contact with a 28-year-old man prior to his death.
“The Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of COPFS, carefully considered the facts and circumstances of the report, and concluded that no further action was required.”
A spokeswoman for the PIRC added: “The PIRC was asked by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) to carry out an investigation into the police contact with Christopher Speirs prior to his death.
“The report found that the actions of the officers involved were in line with police training and procedures in relation to water safety and concluded there was no more they could have safely done that might have prevented the death of Mr Speirs.”
Christopher Spiers is one of several young people who lost their lives in the River Clyde in 2016:
April
Teenager Sarah Goldie was found in the Clyde near to the BBC headquarters at the Pacific Quay. The teenager had been reported missing from her Renfrew home on March 11 and her body was recovered weeks later. On the same evening, she vanished, two men jumped into the River Clyde in a bid to rescue a woman they believed had been seen in the water close to the Broomielaw near the King George V Bridge. Her death was not treated as suspicious.
June
The body of Kirsty Aitchison was pulled from the River Clyde. The 30-year-old was first reported as a missing person after she vanished from Campus nightclub on Sauchiehall Street and a major police operation was launched to find her. The deaf mum-of-four’s death was not treated as suspicious.
August
The singer of East Kilbride band The Lapelles Gary Watson died in the Clyde in what was described as a tragic accident. He died on what would have been his 22nd birthday after falling into the water. The band had secured a management deal with a London agency and were set to go on a UK tour.
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