Fatal Accident Inquiry to investigate water sport deaths

Kayden Walker died after the boogie boarding session with a community group on the River Tay in Perthshire

A joint fatal accident inquiry (FAI) will investigate the deaths of a boy and a man who drowned five years apart during outdoor water activities.

Kayden Walker, 12, died after he became trapped on the upstream side of a weir on the River Tay in Perthshire on 28 July 2019.

Ruaridh Stevenson, 39, also drowned after he tried to help a client who got into difficulty in the waters flowing through Dollar Glen, Clackmannanshire, on 13 April last year.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said a preliminary hearing for the FAI will be held at Falkirk Sheriff Court next month.

Kayden, 12, from Bridgeton in Glasgow, was separated from his board for more than three minutes before an instructor could free him during the boogie boarding session near Stanley.

He was among a group of children taking part in the activity while on a trip with the Church House Community Group.

Outdoor Pursuits Scotland Ltd, who ran the activity, were last year fined £100,000 after admitting a breach of health and safety legislation at Perth Sheriff Court.

Flowers were left at the scene after Ruaridh Stevenson, from Cupar, died at Dollar Glen

Mr Stevenson, from Cupar in Fife, was a director of a company which offered canyoning experiences on Scottish rivers.

Police were called to Dollar Glen, a popular beauty spot, following reports of concern for three people in the water.

Two women were rescued but Mr Stevenson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The FAI will determine the cause of the deaths and the circumstances around them.

It will establish what reasonable precautions could have been taken to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

But unlike criminal proceedings, the FAI will seek to establish facts through examining evidence rather than blaming any parties involved.

The inquiry will also consider the current regulation of canyoning and river boarding.

Procurator fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for the COPFS, said: "The lord advocate considers that the deaths of Ruaridh Stevenson and Kayden Walker occurred in similar circumstances, both deaths occurring while they were engaged in water-based outdoor activities.

"The lodging of the first notice enables FAI proceedings to commence under the direction of the sheriff.

"The families of Ruaridh and Kayden will continue to be kept informed of significant developments as court proceedings progress."