A MUM who lost her son in a tragic accident at an Inverkeithing quarry helped launch Scotland’s first drowning prevention strategy last week.

Gillian Barclay, whose 18-year-old son, Cameron Lancaster, died at Prestonhill Quarry in 2014, is supporting Water Safety Scotland’s new strategy which aims to reduce the number of accidental drowning by half by 2026.

She told the Press that part of the scheme will be to promote water safety in schools through classroom activities and assembly presentations.

“We don’t want to put children off going in the water but for them to understand what happens when there’s a death and how they could maybe help if they saw someone in trouble,” she said.

“From personal experience, I know the impact a death can have on a family, not just short-term, but the long-term affects as well.

“This strategy is the first of its kind and I’ve been working with the team to draft ways to promote this so further deaths are prevented.”

The strategy has been drawn up by experts from the Royal Life Saving Society UK, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

It’s main six objectives are: improving fatality incident data intelligence across Scotland; promote and develop learning to swim and water safety education in all schools; promote water safety policies across local authorities; raise public awareness of water risks; promote safe participation of recreational activities and reduce the number of water-related suicides.

Michael Avril, chairman of Water Safety Scotland, said: “The partnership approach that has been taken is proving to be key to the development of the strategy; this, however, only represents the foundation on which we must now work to turn the strategy into action. I would ask that everyone plays their part to help us save more lives in Scotland.”

Ms Barclay has campaigned to raise awareness of the importance of water safety following her son’s death after taking part in an ‘ice bucket challenge’ at Prestonhill Quarry.

A pressure group was set up last year by Ms Barclay and Kevin O’Neil to have the quarry either filled in or drained.

Mr O’Neil’s brother, Robert, died at the quarry in 1973 when he was just 12.

The pressure group was formed in the wake of Edinburgh school teacher Kelda Henderson’s body being recovered from the water after she failed to resurface after an organised diving trip went wrong on July 10.

The site also claimed the life of 18-year-old John McKay in June 2015.