Posted on 06/17/2008 12:38:23 PM PDT by kingattax
A grieving father told yesterday how he was forced to make a 'life and death' decision over which of his children to save when a family canoe trip turned to tragedy.
TV presenter Ian Clayton's daughter Billie, nine, died after their canoe capsized, throwing them into fast-flowing water, along with Billie's twin brother Edward.
Yesterday Mr Clayton, 48, spoke through tears as he told how he had been told by his son to save Billie first. He desperately tried to lift the canoe clear but couldn't see Billie and was only able to grab Edward.
Buoyed by their lifejackets, Mr Clayton and his son were carried away by the strong current of the River Wye in Powys, Wales.
Yesterday he told an inquest into Billie's death: 'When I got to Edward up the river that day, he said, "Save my sister first." It's hard to understand what was going through that little lad's mind for him to say that.'
Mr Clayton, who presents My Yorkshire for ITV's local output, went on to explain the agonising decision he was forced to make.
He said: 'It was a challenge for me. What twin to go for?
'Sometimes I dream that I saved Billie instead. I will never know if I made the right decision.
'Should I go for the one I can see and hope that later I can find the one I can't see? In the end I went for the one I could see.'
He then told how he got his son, who was clinging on to an overhanging branch, out of the water, saying: 'It looked like he was bodysurfing because of the power of the water. I pulled him up and he nearly strangled me because he was holding on so tight.
'I kept saying, "You are going to be OK", but he kept saying, "You are not going to let me die, are you Daddy?"
The pair were met by an ambulance crew when they reached the river bank, as Mr Clayton had earlier called the canoe company and told them to dial for help.
However, a 999 operator warned him not to risk his life by jumping back in to save Billie.
'I was frightened to jump back in there,' he said. 'I will admit it. I'm not sure if I would have if that woman hadn't told me not to.' He added: 'The next time I saw ( Billie) was in the operating theatre in the hospital.
'It is such a tragedy and people say that tragedy gets better with time. But it doesn't. The pain is still the same today, two years and two months after.'
The inquest in Welshpool, Powys, heard Black Mountain Activities, which rented out the Canadian open canoe, offered only limited advice before the family set off.
Coroner Peter Maddox stated that there was 'serious cause for concern' about the way canoes were rented to novices in the UK.
He said: 'There seems to be a potentially large hole in which the very inexperienced may fall.'
The trio, who were on holiday from their home in Featherstone, Yorkshire, had left the children's mother, Heather Parkinson, behind in nearby Hay-on-Wye on April 12 2006. But they took a wrong turn and, as they tried to turn the canoe, a surge of water flipped it over.
Holding up a photo of his daughter yesterday, Mr Clayton said: 'I want people to remember who we are talking about. This is Billie when she was eight and it is her last school photograph.
'Most people who look at it say, "What a beautiful girl." She was a delight - an absolute delight.'
The hearing, which is expected to last three days, continues.
TV presenter Ian Clayton was forced to make a life and death choice between his children
Victim: Billie Clayton, nine, who died in the tragic canoeing accident
Words fail me.
it would be impossible to imagine the depth of that kind of pain. may God bless that poor man.
Headline is misleading.
He just went for the child he could see, and when he got around to going for the other one she had disappeared.
He really didn’t make a choice.
Sad story
Wow, talk about a parent’s worst nightmare...
I truly pray God will provide every bit of comfort & peace to this man & his son, as they begins the grieving process.
R.I.P. Billie Clayton
“He really didn’t make a choice.”
Yes, this father made a choice.
A flooded river has awsome power, even when it appears like it is moving slowly.
My family was on a flooded Fox river near Chicago 10 years ago and one of our canoes got pinned against a cement pylon from an old dam. The force was so great that 6 hulking fireman on the shore couldn’t pull it free with a rope.
The canoe rental place told me the river was safe.
I got a kick in the gut just thinking about having to make a decision like that.
Prayers for the family
Yes, this father made a choice.
Maybe I’m not following the story, but it seems to me that there was child who was visible and he got that one, and then went after the other.
Doesn’t sound like a choice, just reaction to the circumstances that were presented to him.
Some things should never be said out loud.
I’m not sure what the bejeebers these people were thinking by taking children who could not take charge of themselves in a canoe in fast moving water.
One of the first things I learned about water and boats is that any amount of water, no matter how 'safe' it is supposed to be, will kill you if you don't respect it.
As 1/2 of a set of twins, I cannot imagine life without my sister...especially when we were kids. There is a bond between twins that is...indescribable.
Dear Lord, please don’t ever put me in a situation like that. I don’t think I could bear the pain or the guilt.
The story doesn't say if the kids or the father are swimmers. If they aren't, no business being on the river, especially not alone. Moving water is always dangerous to some degree.
If they were good swimmers, it is a tragic accident.
One of the first things I learned about water and boats is that any amount of water, no matter how 'safe' it is supposed to be, will kill you if you don't respect it.
You're right - this sounds as if he'd never been on the water before (which he probably didn't clue the rental place into). I suppose an urban Brit might never had been exposed to paddling at any level. Americans get so much of it at Scout camp and Y camp and guided tours at the beach, we may assume that the average guy knows one end of a canoe from the other -- and be wrong.
He had to make the same decision.
The current was not as bad as the Fox can be when it's high. You're fortunate you escaped an unpleasant ending.
When I got home, I changed from my filthy, yukky wet clothes and shoes. I removed the paper bills from my sodden wallet and hung them outside on the clothesline to dry.
I've never been in a canoe since. Thanks, but no thanks.
Leni
With proper gear, it can be safer. Life jacket, buoyant head gear, and shoes, make almost any river safe, but one must always be completely alert, and also know what you're going to encounter, if you are bringing young children for whom you will be responsible. That may mean making the run alone first.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.