A MEMORIAL seat celebrating the life and loves of a teenager who died in the River Wear has been unveiled in his hometown.
Cameron Gosling died of cold water shock in July 2015 after he jumped into the river near Bishop Auckland without acclimatising.
Cameron Gosling who died while swimming in the River Wear near Bishop Auckland last year
The 14-year-old’s death shocked the community and triggered Dying to Be Cool, a countywide campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of cold water shock among teenagers Last year, a memorial bench was unveiled at Cameron’s school, Parkside Academy in Willington, but his family and friends also wanted a place to remember the youngster in his hometown of Crook.
Cameron loved to spend his time riding his scooter in Glenholme Park so this seemed the perfect location for the new bench.
And on Monday friends, family, dignitaries and those involved in the cold water campaign gathered for its official unveiling.
Cameron’s younger brother and friends worked alongside North-East sculptor Graeme Hopper to come up with the design, inspired by his love of scooters and boxing.
His mother, Fiona Gosling, said: “Cameron’s life was centred around this skate park. He came here every day and so it is very special to have the bench here.
“It means his friends have somewhere to go to remember him doing what he loved best.”
Councillor Andrea Patterson gave £3,000 from her Three Towns Area Action Partnership neighbourhood budget to fund the bench.
Speaking at the ceremony she said: “It’s great that his friends will be able to come here and remember him. It’s also a physical reminder of the tragedy to try and prevent other tragedies happening to other families.”
Led by Durham County Council, Dying to Be Cool aims to educate ten to 16-year-olds of the dangers of cold water shock, an involuntary response which can result in breathing difficulties and cardiac arrest. Since its launch last year, Mrs Gosling and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service have delivered assemblies to almost 10,000 schoolchildren and have reached thousands more online.
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