Robbie Jones, whose father drowned in the sea off Hove in East Sussex, is urging the Prime Minister to appoint a water safety minister urgently after another tragedy struck just minutes from their home.
Three members of the same family — a couple and their teenage daughter — died after getting into difficulty in the sea at Shoreham. A younger girl is also in hospital in a critical condition. Coastguard helicopters, ambulances and police were scrambled to the coastal town in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon following reports that four people were in trouble in the water. It is thought the family were camping nearby and entered the water for a group swim in the harbour, Sussex Police said.
Son relives father's drowning
Robbie Jones, now 30, whose father died in the sea 14 minutes along the coast, told the Mirror: “This is a really shocking incident and it brings it all back very vividly.” Robbie, who supports the Mirror’s ‘Save Lives for Sam’ campaign, said it took less than a minute for his father Gareth Jones, 69, to drown after going into the sea to save the family's young cockapoo, Connie. Since the tragedy in 2021, Robbie has become a water safety advocate visiting schools to spread the message.
After the latest tragedy, he is asking to meet Andy Burnham and said of the Labour leader’s support of the campaign: “Words won’t save people’s lives - actions will, Prime Minister.” He pointed out the PM recently appointed Baroness Blake of Leeds as fire minister to tackle wildfires and said he also needs to appoint a water safety minister, a role which could be added to Angela Rayner’s brief.
Campaign for water safety minister
The Mirror has been calling for a water safety minister since launching its ‘Save Lives for Sam’ campaign earlier this year, to stop the “catastrophic” deaths of 33 children who drown in England every year — the equivalent of a classroom of children lost. The campaign has warned that drowning in the UK has become an “epidemic” and a “national emergency.” It has been backed by bereaved families, the RNLI, The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), RoSPA, Lee Pitcher MP, the Black Swimming Association (BSA), The National Water Safety Forum, Swim England and The Swimming Alliance and Olympic legends including Becky Adlington.
Robbie said: “I would like to arrange a meeting, let’s get something done here. Let’s not have another year like this, many of these drownings, if not all of them, were totally avoidable and many of them happening to our young people. We need real action. I know Andy Burnham is a decent guy. I had a few weeks work experience with him at Westminster when I was 18 years old. And I know he’s a really generous and compassionate guy.”
National strategy launched
Robbie said: “It was gut-wrenching last night when I heard the news come through. When you hear of the tragedy and all being from the same family, it hit me hard, it’s horrible news. We had one drowning in one family and to have three in one family is unimaginable. It makes me feel like I’m failing in my duty. Five and a half years ago I started trying to get the message out about water safety but the numbers are going the wrong way. It makes me feel like I’ve got to redouble my efforts.”
A national strategy to address the “public health disaster” of drowning was launched in England last month. Among the measures being considered are: providing every child in England with water safety education and swimming lessons; establishing how climate change can increase risks; and media campaigns to inform bystanders how to respond to a potential drowning. Speaking at the announcement of the strategy in Canary Wharf, east London, on Thursday, Prof Mike Tipton, the chair of Water Safety England, said the measures would “eradicate the scourge of drowning.” He added: “Drowning is an ongoing public health disaster that, despite claiming more lives than fire, flooding, or knife crime, often stays below the radar.”
