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TV told father of son's drowning | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The estranged father of a 10-year-old boy says he did not learn of his death by drowning until four months later. | |
John Prestwich said he discovered that Jordon Lyon had died from a TV report on the inquest into his death in Wigan, Greater Manchester. | |
The case caused controversy after it emerged that two police community support officers (PCSOs) had declined to jump into a pond to save him. | |
Mr Prestwich told BBC Five Live he had lost contact with the boy's mother. | |
Jordon jumped into the pond in an effort to rescue his step-sister as they played together in May. Fishermen managed to save his step-sister from the water. | |
Contact lost | |
Mr Prestwich said he had separated from Jordon's mother, Tracy Ganderton, eight years ago, but initially had regular access to Jordon and their other son, Brandon. | |
Nobody should be watching the news one day and find out that their son's died - nobody John Prestwich | |
He said was serving in the Army at the time, and had returned home on leave one weekend to find that his ex-wife and children had moved house, leaving no new address. | |
Mr Prestwich said he had tried to trace them through the Child Support Agency (CSA) but was told details could not be given out due to the Data Protection Act. | |
It was not until he saw the news in September that he realised Jordon had died, he said. | |
"It was like someone had hold of my throat and I couldn't get any words out, I just collapsed on the floor," he said. | "It was like someone had hold of my throat and I couldn't get any words out, I just collapsed on the floor," he said. |
"In my eyes, if I was in contact, I might not have been there on that specific day but I know that I would have been able to go to the hospital and actually see him. | "In my eyes, if I was in contact, I might not have been there on that specific day but I know that I would have been able to go to the hospital and actually see him. |
The pond is at a well-known beauty spot in Wigan | |
"I know that he was looking for me, so just me turning up at the hospital, saying I was there, could have been enough to bring him round. | |
"The fact that I have had to turn up in September, four months after he died... I just wish that I had been contacted. | |
"I know I am on the system, the electoral register. I am available to be found if someone looks, and I've done that on purpose, so that if Jordon and Brandon did decide to look for me, they could find me. | "I know I am on the system, the electoral register. I am available to be found if someone looks, and I've done that on purpose, so that if Jordon and Brandon did decide to look for me, they could find me. |
"Nobody should be watching the news one day and find out that their son's died - nobody." | "Nobody should be watching the news one day and find out that their son's died - nobody." |
'Not trained' | |
Jordon's death sparked a row over the role of the two PCSOs, who were called to the scene but did not enter the water as they were not trained to deal with the incident. | |
Instead, they radioed police to come to the scene. | Instead, they radioed police to come to the scene. |
Jordon was eventually pulled from the pond, but despite attempts to resuscitate him was later pronounced dead in hospital. | |
A verdict of accidental death was recorded at the inquest into his death. |