THE mothers of two York river victims have told of their shock that a fifth person has drowned in three weeks - and called again for action to prevent more tragedies.

Sharon Scott and Kate Ferry spoke out after the body of an elderly woman was recovered from the Ouse on Friday morning and after a £45,000 appeal to buy a new craft for York Rescue Boat - backed by The Press - surged towards the £1,500 mark.

They said the latest fatality emphasised the importance of buying the new craft, which would be equipped with the latest sonar and radio technology, and also of a full review of safety along York’s river banks and an educational campaign about the risks posed by rivers.

Mrs Ferry, whose 19-year-old son Sonny drowned earlier this month while on a night out and who launched the Sunshine Campaign earlier this week to buy the new boat, said she felt "numbness" at the latest news.

She said it emphasised the urgent need for measures to improve safety and for people to back the appeal, adding: "Only when we are certain that we have done everything in our power to prevent any further unnecessary deaths or injuries in our rivers and waterways, and only when we truly believe that every other person that has been somehow touched or affected by these events can say the same, will we be able to find some peace.”

Ms Scott, whose 29-year-old son Steven O’Neill drowned in the Ouse last weekend, was stunned when she heard the news.

She said: “Oh my God. I am absolutely speechless. How many more does it take? This cannot go on and something must be done.”

She said she was fully behind the campaign, adding: “To think that another person has died since my son’s death last weekend. This brings everything back, and my heart goes out to everybody affected.”

One woman said she donated to the appeal because she lost her nephew to the Foss nearly 11 years ago.

Rachel Lacey, of York Rescue Boat, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased at this time. Tragically, sometimes nobody can be in the right place at the right time but we are all trying to make a positive difference. Shortly before York Rescue Boat was formed, we had seven river deaths in a year.

“What is being overshadowed right now are the amount of people saved from the rivers since then, be it by us, the emergency services, CCTV or passers by.”

York Central MP Rachael Maskell, who met Mrs Ferry and her husband Stephen in York last weekend, said yesterday that her thoughts are with the family and those connected with another tragic loss of life in York, and the safety of the city’s rivers needed urgent review.

“One death is one too many and causes pain for everyone involved,” she said. “Five deaths in three weeks is incomprehensible and affects the whole community.

“We need to do more to protect and warn people of the dangers. We need to find out what went wrong. A new inquiry into river safety should be undertaken as a priority.”