Glen Family Relives Son's Drowning as 17 More Fatalities Occur in UK Open Waters
The family of Ben Glen, an 18-year-old who drowned in the River Nith in Dumfries in April, state they endure the trauma of his death with every subsequent report of a young person losing their life in open water. Ben, who had a fear of water and could not swim, died eight days after his eighteenth birthday.
Since Ben’s death, at least 17 individuals, including 11 teenagers, have succumbed to water incidents across the UK during a recent period of warm weather. Ian Glen, Ben’s father, stated that each new fatality forces them to “feel what that family are going through.”
Ian and his wife, Cheryl, are now focused on raising public awareness regarding the inherent dangers of open water, urging young people to exercise caution and reconsider engaging in unnecessary risks. Ben’s death occurred less than a month after his parents’ wedding and shortly after their return from honeymoon. Ian, a renal dialysis nurse, described the rapid shift from profound joy to devastating grief within a five-week period.
Ben was anticipating fatherhood, with his partner due to give birth in September. “It was something he was really looking forward to — he couldn’t shut up talking about it,” Ian recounted.
On 30 April, Ian received a call reporting Ben was in the water. He rushed to the scene where emergency services, including Nith Inshore Rescue, were present. Police subsequently informed him that Ben’s body had been recovered. The police have stated they are not treating Ben’s death as suspicious, and a report has been submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), with an investigation ongoing.
Police informed the family that Ben entered the water to retrieve a dog’s ball. His partner and her family, who attempted to assist him, were rescued by a passer-by. Ben remained in the water for 45 minutes. His family remains with unanswered questions, particularly given Ben’s profound fear of water, which extended to wearing armbands in a swimming pool during a holiday in October.
Jane Dickerson of Port William Inshore Rescue reiterated the dangers, advising individuals to “float to live” if caught in difficulty and to avoid entering the water to assist others, instead urging them to use throwing lines or life rings and await emergency services.
