MPs and campaigners joined grieving families in Westminster yesterday to demand government action on water safety, as part of the Mirror's Save Lives for Sam campaign. The call came after 13 children and six adults lost their lives to drowning during the recent heatwave.
Cross-Party Support for Water Safety Campaign
Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme MP Lee Pitcher, who is spearheading the Private Members' Bill Sam's Law on water safety, told the Mirror: "I've spoken to many bereaved parents whose children have tragically drowned – it's the most horrendous thing in the world and I don't want to see anyone else go through that heartache." He added: "The government has the ability now to step in and support and do something to save lives. We know it's going to be a hot summer and people are going to be drinking because of the World Cup, so I'm calling on the government to do a huge national campaign to warn people of the risks of going into open water unsupervised."
Grieving Families Share Heartbreaking Stories
Sam Haycock, 16, died in May 2021 after getting into trouble in a reservoir on the last day of school. His father, Simon Haycock, joined MPs at the event and said: "Many young people think they can swim because they can swim in a swimming pool, but swimming in open water is a different skill set. You have to understand about cold water shock, debris under the surface of the water, plants at the bottom that you can get your legs tangled in." He added: "In May, when Sam died and the recent deaths occurred, the water is still very cold despite hot weather and that's where young people are getting caught out because they assume if it's hot the water is going to be warm. That's when they get themselves into some real difficulty and sadly not enough people know what to do when they get into difficulty."
Vanessa Abbess, whose 17-year-old son Joe died in a rip current off Bournemouth beach in 2023, said: "Joe was very strong, he was muscly and fit and at the gym constantly. He could swim and was in a flag safe swimming zone. It happened because rip currents are unpredictable and come out of nowhere."
MPs Share Constituent Tragedies
Jim Dickson, MP for Dartford, attended after one of his constituents drowned during the hot spell. He said: "We had a very sad case of a young man, who jumped into a flooded quarry pit and didn't resurface. Emergency services were called and sadly he was found drowned shortly after. His parents and others connected are very keen to get the message out there that water safety is incredibly important both in schools and wider awareness. It's tragic – many of the people who died in water related incidents in the recent heat wave are young people. It's tragic and it's avoidable." Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen, and former minister Anneliese Dodds also attended.
Charities and Campaigners Unite
Pete Kennedy, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Royal Life Saving Society UK, which organised the gathering, said: "We're really pleased to have brought together MPs, charities and bereaved families to call on the government to act now to prevent drownings. As we mark Drowning Prevention Week, there's not long left to get lifesaving public messaging out to kids before the school holidays. The Government must act now, and we are here to support them to get it right."
The Royal Life Saving Society UK, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, the Black Swimming Association, The National Water Safety Forum, the RNLI, Swim England and The Swimming Alliance have all joined forces with the Mirror alongside MPs and bereaved families. Olympic legends Becky Adlington and Tom Dean and elite swimmer Michael Gunnin have also backed the campaign.
Five Key Demands of the Save Lives for Sam Campaign
- Urgent public awareness campaign: The Government must launch a campaign ahead of the summer holidays targeting parents and children on TikTok and other social media platforms, including lifesaving techniques and advice such as avoiding diving into water and information on cold water shock.
- Safety equipment at high-risk water bodies: Water companies and those in control of large water bodies must install correct safety equipment.
- Compulsory water safety lessons in schools: Lessons before the holidays on how to survive if you get into difficulty in the water, including the Water Safety Code, the RNLI 'Float to Live' campaign, and Phone-Float-Throw bystander advice.
- Sam's Law: Make it law that safety equipment is installed around high-risk large bodies of water and make damaging or stealing this equipment an aggravated criminal offence.
- Minister for Water Safety: Appoint a minister for water safety, as in Wales and Scotland, treating drowning as a preventable public health issue.
