A bereaved father whose son died after getting into trouble in water at a beauty spot in Wigan has revealed that the 15-year-old did not know how to swim.

Alex Crook was tragically pronounced dead at the scene at Scotman’s Flash – a watersports activity center and nature reserve – on Saturday, September 7.

Two months on from the tragic incident, his father Neil has spoken publicly for the first time and stated he was determined to prevent a similar catastrophe hitting another family.

The 45-year-old said neither Alex, nor the three friends he was with on that day, were able to swim when they headed to the popular swimming spot on the stretch of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

Alex was only wading in the engineered channel when he suddenly disappeared below the water line – which an onlooker described as ‘Baltic’.

Because of his friends swimming limitations, the teenager was trapped under the water for six minutes before a passer-by heard the cries for help, located him and pulled him out of the canal.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Alex passed away at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan.

Reflecting on the horrific ordeal, Neil said he realised that ‘something very bad had happened’ to his son when he received a call from a lady on an unknown number asking if he was Alex’s father.

He told Wigan Today: ‘It was the mum of one of the other boys Alex had been with. She said I needed to go to Scotman’s Flash because Alex had been dragged out of the water and he was not breathing.

‘As you can imagine I didn’t know what to do. I rang Lynnette [Alex’s step mother] and I rang Alex’s mother in Beech Hill and when Lynnette got back we were going to go to the Flash but then we got a call saying we should go straight to Wigan A&E.

‘After about three quarters of an hour, the doctors came into the room and said that his heart had not been beating for an hour and they said there was nothing else they could do. Even if his heart were, by some miracle, to restart then, he would not have any quality of life.’

Neil, who had not realise Alex was going to the Flash that day, said his son’s passing had not ‘sunk in yet’ and didn’t expect it to anytime soon.

Alex had only begun his year 11 studies at Standish High three days before he had gone to the beauty spot, his father revealed.

Neil and his wife Lynnette now want schools that don’t have swimming lessons in the curriculum to reinstate them and encourage youngsters to learn how to swim.

Alex had been taught how to swim at his school, but Neil says he ‘never took to them’ and eventually they gave up.

The couple also want to raise money for danger signage and life-saving equipment to be installed at open water sites where youngsters are known to swim.

Currently, there are no warning signs, life belts or lifelines at Scotman’s Flash.

In the wake of his death, Alex’s aunt Rachel Marron set up a JustGiving page in tribute to her nephew, which included a photo of him in his school uniform.

She wrote: ‘I’ve set up this page to help my brother and Alex’s mum after the devastating loss of their son.

‘As you can imagine trying to sort a funeral for your 15-year-old son is something no-one should ever have to do.’

In a heartbreaking tribute to the teenager, a relative of Alex wrote: ‘Where do you start Alex, I’m heartbroken beyond words, we will make sure Oscar grows up knowing his big brother, a hole has been left [that] will never be filled, we are so proud of the man you [were] becoming, you were such a good boy.

‘I’m going to miss you so much, your cheeky little smile, that little frown which Oscar has the exact same […].’