By Cara Blackhall Iona Young
The family of a young man who tragically drowned in a rock pool at a Scots beach have issued a warning to beachgoers as they mark eight years since his death. 艁ukasz Kasperczyk was just 32 years-old when he died at Dunbar Harbour in a catastrophic accident on June 30, 2017. The fisherman originally from Poland was enjoying a day out with friends at Dunbar Harbour when he stumbled over some rocks smashing his head and drowning in a small pool of water. Sadly he was pronounced dead at the scene leaving behind his girlfriend, son, sister, dad and five nieces. His niece, Ewelina Wybraniec who was just 16 when the tragedy occurred has spoken out as summer approaches and people flock to seasides across Scotland . The now 24-year-old told Edinburgh Live : “He was an amazing guy and he was always there for my mum. We were so close – he was the only man in my life. “A group of friends had organised a fishing trip at Dunbar harbour. It was around 4pm and my uncle was pronounced dead at 5.30pm. “He left the car while they were unpacking things because he wanted to look at the rocks. They don鈥檛 know what happened, there was nobody there. “Apparently he fainted because my uncle fell straight onto his face – his cause of death was drowning .” “He fell face first in a small body of water. The puddles have such a small amount of water so it’s really bizarre thinking about how he drowned in that. It was a horrible accident , it took five minutes and he was gone.” “He loved the outdoors and fishing, so he would have known it was dangerous . I just don鈥檛 understand why he would even attempt to climb the rocks. “It鈥檚 so important to think about the safety of being near the water. Nobody realises how dangerous it is out there on the rocks, one wrong move and something drastic can happen. “Nobody takes it into consideration. I definitely didn’t and I would never have thought it would happen to us as a family.” Water Safety Scotland revealed last month that men, particularly those aged 20 to 29, are at a higher risk of drowning compared to other groups. According to fresh data from the Water IncidentDatabase (WAID), men accounted for 82 per cent of all accidental water-related deaths in Scotland in 2024. Community Safety Minister Siobhain Brown said: 鈥淢y thoughts and sympathies are with the families and friends who have lost a loved one in a drowning accident. “I encourage everyone to protect themselves and others when in and around the water and to be aware that water temperature can vary drastically, as can currents and tides. “It鈥檚 well worth learning the Water Safety Code and using the resources of Water Safety Scotland so people can stay safe and prevent accidents in our waters. 鈥漌ater Safety Scotland continues to promote water safety through its assets, including free education resources for teachers and practitioners and free consistent water safety messaging for partners to use across Scotland. As summer approaches , Water Safety Scotland wants to remind the public to stay safe and follow the three-part Water Safety Code: 鈥 Stop and Think, Spot the Dangers 鈥 Stay Together, Stay Close 鈥 In an Emergency, Call 999