School pupils warned of Loch Doon's 'hidden hazards' after drowning tragedies at Ayrshire beauty spot

dailyrecord.co.uk:

School pupils have been warned of the 'hidden hazards' of Loch Doon after a number of drowning tragedies at the Ayrshire beauty spot.Youngsters from Doon Academy recently took part in Scotland’s first-ever outdoor water safety awareness course on the banks of the East Ayrshire loch.It comes months after two tragic deaths in three years at the popular Dalmellington attraction.Scott Ferries, 24, from Ayr suffered from cold water shock in March after his kayak ‘capsized’ whilst out with his pal on the water.And in 2019, former Doon Academy pupil Brandon Patton, 18, drowned whilst getting into difficulty in the water.Ahead of the summer holidays, pupils attended the first of many specialist training sessions set to be rolled out at Bellsbank Primary and Dalmellington Primary.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.The SOS classes will tell of the hidden hazards of water and how to correctly use a barrage of life-saving equipment which now surrounds the loch.Emergency services joined forces with council groups and the Loch Doon rangers to spell out the dangers and what to do in an emergency.Councillors Drew Filson and Elaine Stewart attended the first session with head teacher Kenneth Reilly.Doon Valley's Councillor Filson said: “The new water safety awareness training is really innovative and will contribute to ensuring that anyone coming along to enjoy what is a true