A man who cut his leg when he fell into a lake died after developing a rare bacterial infection.
Ben Smith-Crallan, 37, developed Necrotising Fasciitis (NF) – sometimes referred to as the ‘flesh-eating disease’ – after falling into water at the Botanic Gardens in Southport, Merseyside.
The infection caused a blister on his leg which he initially mistook for gout.
But things quickly worsened and Ben was admitted into hospital where doctors placed him into a coma.
Ben, from Southport, had to have his leg amputated before he died from the infection in June 2018.
Three years on from the tragedy, his heartbroken father Peter Smith-Crallan, has now launched an appeal for railings to be built around the lake and water aeration fountains.
He told the Liverpool Echo: ‘If railings had been in place around the lake when Ben fell in, then my son wouldn’t have died.
‘What happened to Ben would not have happened. Why have railings not been put up before now?
‘What happened to Ben, I don’t want to see that happen to any other family.
‘They need to put railings around the lake and take regular water samples. The water in there is so bad that drowning there would be the least of your worries.
‘The lake needs cleaning up, and water aeration fountains put in. That lake has not been touched for the last 40 years.
‘How many people visit that park every year? 100,000? You can’t take a gamble with their safety.’
Mr Smith-Crallan recalled how he did not think anything was seriously wrong when he took his son to Roe Lane GP Surgery in Southport for his blister.
He added: ‘A few days later, I took Ben to the Roe Lane GP Surgery in Southport. He had big blisters on his leg. I didn’t think anything was seriously wrong.
‘I dropped him off there and said I would pick him up after his appointment.
‘But the next time I saw him, he was lying in a hospital bed with 15 tubes in him.’
Ben’s dad is urging as many people as possible to support the Make A Change For Ben campaign, which wants to see the lake cleaned and safety measures such as water aeration fountains installed.
The group was set up by Ben’s best friend, David Rawsthorne, and has already gained over 4,000 supporters through Facebook – including Liverpool FC legend Alan Hansen and Radio 1 DJ Adele Roberts.
Mr Smith-Crallan said that after Ben died, he sent a lot of ‘angry’ emails but didn’t get anywhere.
Now, generous well-wishers have donated £10,000 towards the safety work.
He said: ‘I think it is brilliant what David and the Make A Change For Ben campaign have achieved so far. He has done superbly well to get so many local people and so many celebrities involved in backing the campaign.
‘I want to see more people getting involved with the Make A Change For Ben campaign, and to donate what they can to our appeal.
‘When Ben died, I was very angry. I wrote a lot of emails to a lot of people, but I didn’t really get anywhere. I was upset with everyone, and everything.
‘That’s the good thing about the campaign and all the people who are now supporting it.
‘It’s much easier to take notice of thousands of people rather than just one.
‘I would love to see more people join the campaign.’
Botanic Gardens Community Association Chairman David Codham welcomed the support from local people as he set out plans to improve the lake.
He said: ‘We have received some great support from local people and local companies to ensure the continued maintenance of the park over the last 10 years, for the provision of flowers, to enable us to keep the public toilets open, to carry out the refurbishment of the aviary. They have got involved, which has really helped.
‘Now we really need support to clear the lake, repair the bridges and to install water aeration features and make it a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone.’
It comes after Sefton Council outlined ideas for up to £30,000 in improvements for the lake and lakeside area.
These include new water aeration fountains, the installation of new fencing and secure lifeline stations, as well as plans for annual community clean-up events.
Councillors and council officers, Make A Change For Ben campaigners and the Botanic Gardens Community Association have already met to discuss the proposals.
All agreed the importance of prioritising the aerating fountains as the first phase.
The funding from the improvements is set to come from community fundraising schemes, local ward budgets and the Green Sefton Service.
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