A couple who lost their son in tragic circumstances are using his story to warn people of the dangers of the Jubilee River as a heatwave hits Britain.

Michael Scaife was just 20 when he and some friends decided to go into the Jubilee River near Datchet. But one got into trouble and Michael saved him and got him to the riverbank before succumbing to the dangers of the cold water himself.

“He died being a hero,” said his mother Sonia who lives in Langley and with her husband Mark has dedicated the last five years since Michael’s death to educating others about water safety.

“We will never know how many people Michael’s story may save just by changing their minds about going into open bodies of water like the Jubilee River.

“A colleague at the school where I work told me about a year after Michael’s death he was saving lives. Her son had told friends who wanted to go for a swim in a river about his mum’s friend whose son died and they didn’t go in.

“It made me feel happy in a way, it was comforting, that something positive had come out of Michael’s story.”

Michael was a trainee shop manager who was about to become a mentor with The Prince’s Trust when he died in August 2015.

Three years after Michael’s death two young men died within just weeks of each other in the Jubilee River, 17-year-old Dajarn’s Daly, of Wexham, and 22-year-old Nayeeb Ullah Naizai

The Scaife family is supporting the council’s campaign to warn children and adults about the dangers of the Jubilee River – particularly in hot weather.

Michael’s dad Mark continues to raise money for water safety initiatives and is currently in the middle of walking to the 21 Vanarama National League South away grounds, starting and ending his journey at Slough Town FC’s home ground, Arbour Park. All the money will be donated to the RNLI’s water education programme. To support Mark click here www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mark-scaife2.