A RISCA mum said her son is lucky to be alive after he pulled out of the ill-fated fishing trip at the last minute.

Jean Whitehead's 28-year-old son, Gavin, was good friends with all four men, and was due to join them on Saturday, but was too ill.

Mrs Whitehead, 53, lives in Springfield Road, just doors from Warren Harding.

She said: "My son Gavin was going to go fishing with the boys on Saturday. He knew all four lads and he went through school and nursery with the two brothers.

"We saw them on Saturday night, they pulled up to the house at five to nine and asked if Gavin was going fishing. I said he was feeling ill, so he wasn't going to go - and that was the last time we saw them.

"He should have been with them that night. He had a very lucky escape." Yesterday Gavin made an emotional trip to the scene of the accident to pay his final respects to his close friends. He was too upset to speak and is being comforted by family and friends.

Mrs Whitehead, a mum of seven and grandmother of 13, was so moved by the tragedy she started a door-to-door collection in the area to raise money for the four families.

She said: "It is such a tragedy. We wanted to do something to help them out."