Family suffer double tragedy as two relatives die in same river 12 years apart

A heartbroken family have told how they suffered the unimaginable agony of losing two loved ones in the same river 12 years apart.

Grandfather Michael Scott was left reliving a nightmare when he received a frantic phone call telling him his 16-year-old grandson Tyler Wilson had entered the River Aire and Calder near Methley Bridge in West Yorkshire and failed to resurface.

For Michael, the horror was almost impossible to comprehend as more than a decade earlier, his younger brother Andrew Scott had drowned in the very same stretch of water after slipping from stepping stones while attempting to cross the river.

Recalling the moment he learned Tyler was in danger, Michael told the Mirror: ‘I couldn’t believe it was happening again. I felt like I was dreaming. It was unbelievable, I couldn’t believe history was repeating itself.’

Tyler entered the water near Castleford on May 24, 2023 and although he was described as a confident swimmer, it is believed he was overcome by cold water shock.

Emergency services launched a major search operation involving police, paramedics and drones as family members gathered anxiously on Methley Bridge hoping for news.

Michael and his wife Susan raced several miles to the scene after receiving the call from Tyler’s mother, Zoe Graham, but tragically after around 90 minutes, officers informed the family that a body had been located.

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Grandfather Michael Scott was left reliving a nightmare when he received a frantic phone call telling him his 16-year-old grandson Tyler Wilson (above) had entered the River Aire and Calder near Methley Bridge in West Yorkshire and failed to resurface

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Tyler entered the water near Castleford on May 24, 2023 and although he was described as a confident swimmer, it is believed he was overcome by cold water shock

The tragedy brought back painful memories for the family, particularly for Zoe, who had also been among the first relatives to arrive at the scene when her uncle Andrew drowned years earlier.

Andrew, who was 46 and unable to swim, had been walking home with a friend when he attempted to cross the river via stepping stones leading to a small island.

According to Michael, Andrew slipped into the fast-moving water and disappeared before his companion could help.

‘He’d slipped on the stepping stone. He couldn’t swim and the current took him. You never think it is going to happen to you but it has to us, twice,’ Michael said.

Because of this Zoe said she had repeatedly warned Tyler about the dangers of rivers, encouraging him to use swimming pools instead.

In the aftermath of Tyler’s death, she has struggled to be around water at all and said even baths and showers became traumatic reminders of what had happened.

Now, as they continue to come to terms with losing both Tyler and Andrew in the same river, the family hope sharing their story will serve as a warning to others about the hidden dangers of open water.

Michael said: ‘People need to know it never goes away. It’s been three years since we lost Tyler and it’s like it was yesterday. It’s all the family, it spreads out, the friends, it affects so many people.’

In tributes posted for Tyler his girlfriend’s mother, Kerri Mountain-Stogden, wrote: ‘Heartbroken isn’t the word. My poor baby daughter has lost her boyfriend, soul mate and best friend. He truly was her rock.

‘I am so sorry to all Tyler’s family, he was the best. A decent, honest boy that made my daughter the happiest girl.

‘Our lives and house won’t be the same without him. Rest in peace TyTy, you will always be in our hearts.’

SOURCE: Family suffer double tragedy as two relatives die in same river 12 years apart | Daily Mail Online