Nombulelo Ndlovu is urging parents and teenagers to understand the dangers of open water after her 15-year-old son, Thandolwethu Ndlovu, known as Thando, drowned in the River Trent almost five years ago. She is backing the Mirror's 'Save Lives for Sam' water safety campaign and warning families to have the potentially lifesaving conversation she never did.
Thando's tragic drowning
Thando, a teenage footballer from Chellaston, went to a popular stretch of the River Trent at Swarkestone Bridge in July 2021 with friends. The group entered the water, but Thando got into difficulty and disappeared. His friends did not encounter problems and did not hear him call for help. Emergency services were called, but his body was recovered the next day after an extensive search. He was pronounced dead just two days after his 15th birthday.
Despite having swimming lessons from age four and reaching Stage 4, Thando lost interest around age 11 and stopped attending. His mother said: "For us, swimming was always a fun activity, a sport he enjoyed and I never imagined it would one day be connected to such a tragedy in our family. When he lost interest around the age of 11 or 12, we didn't push him to continue. At the time, we saw it as just another hobby he had outgrown, and I deeply regret not encouraging him to carry on."
Water safety disparities
In 2023, the National Child Mortality Database revealed that the risk of drowning is three times higher for children of Black or Black British ethnicity compared with White children. Research from the Black Swimming Association also found that 48% of Black and Brown people surveyed did not know how to stay safe in water.
Nombulelo reflected: "From the bottom of my heart, I can say that I never spoke to him about the dangers of open water. I simply didn't imagine that children in the UK would be swimming in rivers. I assumed that here, we all swim safely in swimming pools, not in open water. Looking back, I can see that this was my own naivety, but it was also a lack of awareness, something I now know many parents share."
Campaign for curriculum change
Nombulelo is calling for open water safety to become a compulsory part of the school curriculum. She said: "To prevent other families from going through the pain that mine has lived with, real change needs to happen, starting with the Government. They must listen to our pleas and make open water safety a compulsory part of the school curriculum. Every summer, and even just a few weeks ago during the recent heatwave, we lose young and older lives to the same preventable dangers. We cannot continue like this. We need to see action, not just sympathy."
Kerry Downes, CEO of the Black Swimming Association, which supported Nombulelo, said: "Access to water isn't equal and this is what drives risk. It's especially important for parents of boys - and in particular parents of Black boys - to learn about water safety and the dangers of open water, and have these conversations with their children as soon as possible."
Raising awareness
Since her son's death, Nombulelo has raised awareness of open water dangers. In 2023, she teamed up with Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service to share her family's story in a seven-minute video. She said: "Finally, I encourage people to watch and share the video my family made in 2024 about Thando's story, available on YouTube. It includes the real 999 call made by his best friend Harry on the day Thando drowned. It is painful to hear, but if it can scare even one child away from entering a dangerous river and save their life, then it gives meaning to our loss and honours the memory of our beloved legend."
Nombulelo urged parents: "Parents also have a vital role to play, especially my fellow African parents. If I was unaware that children here swim in open rivers, I know many others are in the same position. In Europe, open water swimming is common, and our children can get carried away without understanding the risks they are stepping into. We need to talk openly with them about these dangers, and we should also support them by joining them in swimming lessons so they build real confidence and safety skills."
