NEW safety measures will be installed at Lochore Meadows following the tragic death of a 20-year-old man last summer.

Keivan Ulhaq, from Cowdenbeath, died after getting into difficulty in the loch in June and now more life-saving equipment and signs will be put in place in the next few weeks.

Councillors were told on Thursday that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Fife Council are working with energy giant Shell to improve safety measures at Lochore Meadows following a number of incidents.

At the environment and protective services sub-committee, SFRS area commander Mark Bryce said the additional measures will include new rescue equipment such as throw lines and signs instructing people on how to both use the equipment and what to tell 999 operators in the event they need emergency assistance.

He added: “The rescues we have been involved in tend to involve people that didn’t intend to be in the water. Misadventure is probably the best way to describe it.”

Keivan, of King Street in Cowdenbeath, was just 20 when he got into trouble while swimming in the loch on Saturday June 20.

He had been with his friends at the Meedies and although bystanders who heard his shouts for help pulled him from the loch and made desperate attempts to save him, he passed away shortly after in the Victoria Hospital, in Kirkcaldy.

A JustGiving page set up by one of his many friends, Dana Paterson, raised £1,570 to help pay for the funeral while a rowan tree was planted and plaques erected in a memorial garden at the Meedies.

In the month after the tragedy, SFRS water rescue teams were called upon twice more after reports of members of the public getting into difficulty in the loch.

A spokesperson for the fire service explained: “As part of our prevention strategy, SFRS have been working with Fife Council and Shell UK Ltd on a joint water safety initiative to raise awareness at the park and provide additional control measures on site.

“Our operational crews and flexi duty officers have conducted joint visits with the park manager to gather operational intelligence and identify strategic locations for additional water safety signage and more importantly public rescue equipment.

“These throw line stations provide equipment and clear instructions which enable members of the public to make lifesaving interventions should it be required.

“SFRS met with community liaison officers from Shell to discuss local initiatives and subsequently Shell have now provided funding for the proposed water safety signage and public rescue equipment.

“We are currently working to procure the signage and equipment and hope to conclude this initiative in the early part of 2021.”