Legacy for man who perished in the sea

Donna Loveland with Scarborough's RNLI Mechanic Dave Horsley. Inset, Andrew McGeown.

ALMOST a year since he perished in the sea off the Yorkshire coast, Andrew McGeown's sister admits she still struggles to accept he is no longer alive.

Next Monday will mark the first anniversary since the 32-year-old drowned after diving into the North Sea to rescue his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Arnold, in Scarborough’s South Bay.

More than £11,000 has since been raised by family and friends to cement Mr McGeown’s legacy, and to help prevent similar tragedies at sea.

But while she is proud of the legacy he has left behind, speaking ahead of the anniversary, his sister Donna Loveland claimed she tries to blank out the “horrific” events of February 22 last year.

“I try not to think about it, but when I do I just remember it being this horrible, cold wintry night,” said 37-year-old Ms Loveland. “Some days I think it actually hasn’t happened.”

RNLI volunteers who braved the stormy seas that night have since been honoured for what has been dubbed one of the worst rescue missions faced by crews in living memory.

Scarborough RNLI helmsman Rudi Barman was presented with a rare RNLI Bronze Medal for Gallantry for his role.

The Yorkshire Post reported on Saturday that the fundraising effort had been launched in the wake of the dramatic sea rescue which ultimately ended in tragedy. And yesterday Ms Loveland visited Scarborough’s lifeboat crews to thank them for their efforts last February as well as to highlight their work.

Cash raised from fundraising events, including a three-legged pub crawl and a charity rugby league game, will be used to help finance new seafront safety signage, and to pay for a swimming safety course for children to keep them from danger in the open waters off the Yorkshire coast.

The RNLI’s community incident reduction manager Helen Williams said: “The Andrew McGeown Legacy Fund will ensure that key sea safety messages reach local people and the many visitors that come to enjoy the Yorkshire Coast each year.”

While scores of tributes were paid to Mr McGeown after his death, his relatives are determined to shift the focus from mourning their loss to a long-standing legacy.

His sister said: “All I want is Andrew to be remembered for the type of person that he was – a fun one. Having to deal with all of this isn’t something anybody ever wants to have to do, but if we hadn’t, then Andrew wouldn’t have had the legacy he deserves.

“I want Andrew to be remembered for what he was and that he’s left something good behind.

“Having this legacy will hopefully mean it will help people of all different ages and that Andrew will live on in everyone’s hearts.”