Serial Killer at large in Manchester?

[Vic]

It always seems to be young lads.....do women never drink & walk?

Wonder why nobody can ever get out once they 'fall in'.

They do. It's just not news.

 

[urban genie]

I imagine it’s the shock of the cold that gets people panicking.

If the figure of 61 deaths in 7 years is correct then I am gobsmacked that nothing has been done.

Drain them, turn them into a walk way and/or cycle route and have it illuminted.

61 in 7 years is correct though the average round the rest of the country is abput 2-3 a year, and our busiest canal system in Birmingham has hd about 7-10 in the same 7 year period, hence why some consider is suspicious, especially as in most cases it is the same demographic, late teen - mid 20s males.

Most deaths on british waterway are on coasts or rivers and only manchester has a larger number canal based.

I would hate to see our canal system drained, maybe more barriers need to go up in and access points gated and closed after a certain time to prevent drunks getting on them, The canal system stretches.the countryside amd is a very pleasant thing to walk up on a nice day, taking them away would not be fair to all people, prevention is the best option.

But the high numbers still suspiciously make me think it is less down to just alcohol and something more sinister.

 

[SWP's back]

There was a chap skiing in France somewhere last week, went off piste and over the edge of a cliff, 600ft fall

Hope he was ok, that's quite a fall.

 

[ancoats]

Serious question, just to help me understand. I moved away a long time ago, but remember throughout the 80s when I was a regular drinking in town, that people falling in the canals drunk and drowning was a petty common occurrence. Has it statistically grown and is that growth disproportionate to the number of people actually living in town and by the canals nowadays?

its so different to what it was in the 80s and all the old footpaths have been open the canals are now used by boats and there is so many apartments been built around the both canals they even have a marina in new islington and the old canal from rochdale been dug up and cleaned out and now you can go right around to the ashton canal. so much money been spent on apartments and city living its crazy the amount of people living around both canals

the council and the british waterways need to review the footpaths around town and railings need to be put on the edge of the canal and the locks need to take them walk rails off and something to stop people walking on top of them. use both canal footpaths living in ancoats and there is even a new school built on the edge of the rochdale canal ????? its crazy that so many people forget the dangers of water and canals and am talking about not drunk people on a night out thinking they are superman

last week they drained the ashton canal at new islington and the drop from the edge of the canal to the bottom is about 5 ft and from the middle its about 9ft so if you think about it 5ft of cold water with nothing to grab hold of to get a grip off to pull yourself out add the cold water and panic its only going to end one way. now the locks they are the real killers 20ft drop to the bottom and about 7ft to the top of the water with nothing to get you out and they put a rail so you can walk across them ?????

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

It always seems to be young lads.....do women never drink & walk?

Wonder why nobody can ever get out once they 'fall in'.

Loads of reasons. Silt and mud at the bottom means feet sink in and they cant get any purchase. There is nothing on the side to hold onto to pull themselves up with. The water will be absolutely freezing, and that soon seizes muscles up. There is the shock of falling in, and a panic when they realise they are struggling to get out, plus they will be disorientated. It doesnt take log before they seize up and they wont be able to move then. Ive been to 7 of these in the last 10 years in Swansea and surrounding areas. One poor drunk bloke had gone into Neath Canal in water that only came up to his waist pretty much, but he couldnt get out and drowned in it. You could see marks in the mud on the bank where he had tried clawing his way up but just couldnt do it. Swansea has the river Tawe close to the city centre and a Marina, and scores have died in the water there after a night out. Ive dealt with 7 or 8 myself. Its not foul play, people are attracted to water for some reason when drunk and theyve got the blues, and people dont look where they are going when drunk and make poor decisions they wouldnt normally do, like thinking it is a good idea to take a short cut home along a dark path near water.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

61 in 7 years is correct though the average round the rest of the country is abput 2-3 a year, and our busiest canal system in Birmingham has hd about 7-10 in the same 7 year period, hence why some consider is suspicious, especially as in most cases it is the same demographic, late teen - mid 20s males.

Most deaths on british waterway are on coasts or rivers and only manchester has a larger number canal based.

I would hate to see our canal system drained, maybe more barriers need to go up in and access points gated and closed after a certain time to prevent drunks getting on them, The canal system stretches.the countryside amd is a very pleasant thing to walk up on a nice day, taking them away would not be fair to all people, prevention is the best option.

But the high numbers still suspiciously make me think it is less down to just alcohol and something more sinister.

Birmingham might have more canals but Manchester’s are concentrated around the city centre, unlike Birmingham’s. Drinking and thoughts of suicide are sadly common bedfellows and the canal being there may well be a factor in some of these deaths. The most important factor in these cases is drunken young men, not the canals.
Because it’s a depressant, alcohol slows down the brain and affects the body’s responses. At the same time, if you’ve been drinking, you’re more likely to take risks. 14% of road deaths are through drink/driving and many of these are young men. Combined, these reactions increase the chance of accidents happening.
As already pointed out, pissed up young blokes falling in the canal and getting out (or almost falling in) isn’t a story but I’d wager there’ll be many of those.
Finally, if it was something more sinister, unless he’s the most accomplished serial killer of all time, people would have lived to tell the tale and that hasn’t happened.

 

[dickie davies]

I imagine it’s the shock of the cold that gets people panicking.

If the figure of 61 deaths in 7 years is correct then I am gobsmacked that nothing has been done.

Drain them, turn them into a walk way and/or cycle route and have it illuminted.

Manchester's canals are essential in helping the city not being flooded, which was a regular occurance before the canals were built

 

[urban genie]

Birmingham might have more canals but Manchester’s are concentrated around the city centre, unlike Birmingham’s. Drinking and thoughts of suicide are sadly common bedfellows and the canal being there may well be a factor in some of these deaths. The most important factor in these cases is drunken young men, not the canals.
Because it’s a depressant, alcohol slows down the brain and affects the body’s responses. At the same time, if you’ve been drinking, you’re more likely to take risks. 14% of road deaths are through drink/driving and many of these are young men. Combined, these reactions increase the chance of accidents happening.
As already pointed out, pissed up young blokes falling in the canal and getting out (or almost falling in) isn’t a story but I’d wager there’ll be many of those.
Finally, if it was something more sinister, unless he’s the most accomplished serial killer of all time, people would have lived to tell the tale and that hasn’t happened.

Of the 61 deaths, many of them were last sighted not near the canals and also why are they reported missing, yet only found days/week later in the canal or riverside.


I don't dispute pissed people fall in, the strawberry duck in clayton used to have people walk out the door and into the canal but that was even very rare.

The numbers don't add up in my mind.

May be coincidence, may be a killer

on your last point our contries worst 2 serial killers amelia dyer and shipman went decades before being caught.

 

[andy1234uk]

Manchester's canals are essential in helping the city not being flooded, which was a regular occurance before the canals were built

Ahh, I did not know this! Will definitely read more into this. Thanks!

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Of the 61 deaths, many of them were last sighted not near the canals and also why are they reported missing, yet only found days/week later in the canal or riverside.


I don't dispute pissed people fall in, the strawberry duck in clayton used to have people walk out the door and into the canal but that was even very rare.

The numbers don't add up in my mind.

May be coincidence, may be a killer

on your last point our contries worst 2 serial killers amelia dyer and shipman went decades before being caught.

Even so, as they’re young men, all would have had autopsies and suspicious deaths would have been highlighted. Be that drugs in the system or a big hole in the back of the head, but there’s nothing. As I said earlier, someone would have survived and reported it but that doesn’t seem to have happened.
I’d favour pissed up and or depressed as the major link here.