Laura Hamilton, presenter of Channel 4's A Place in the Sun, has spoken of the moment she saw a young man die in the sea in the south of France - an experience that has led her to support the Mirror's Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign.
The 44-year-old mother of two said: "How could I not back this campaign? This issue is so important and my recent experience simply reinforced the fact we have to get the water safety message out there."
A day at the beach turned to horror
Laura was filming in Montpellier earlier this month when she finished early and decided to go to a nearby beach. She said: "There was a helicopter landing, an ambulance - all the emergency services. There was an attempt going on to resuscitate the person and they put sheets up so people couldn't see. In the end they didn't manage it."
She later learned the victim was a 19-year-old man. "I just can't imagine what that boy's family is going through. As a mum it struck me - I have a son myself."
The Save Lives for Sam campaign
The campaign is named after Sam Haycock, a 16-year-old who drowned in Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham on his last day of school in 2021. His father Simon Haycock describes water safety as "a matter of life and death", adding: "change needs to happen and it needs to happen fast."
In England, the equivalent of an entire classroom of 33 children is lost to drowning each year, with campaigners calling the issue a "national emergency". In one week in May, 19 children and adults lost their lives in water-related incidents during a record-breaking heatwave.
What the campaign is calling for
Save Lives for Sam wants compulsory water safety lessons in schools, a public awareness campaign targeting parents and children on TikTok and other social media, better safety equipment around bodies of water, and the appointment of a Minister for Water Safety.
The campaign also demands "Sam's Law", which would make it a legal requirement to install safety equipment at high-risk water areas and make damaging that equipment an aggravated criminal offence.
Drowning is a leading cause of child death
The World Health Organisation lists drowning as the third leading cause of death for children aged five to 14. Laura said: "I looked at the statistics and couldn't believe it - we have to get these numbers down."
For Laura, who lives in Surrey with son Rocco, 12, and daughter Tahlia, 11, water safety has always been a priority. "Being taught how to swim shouldn't be seen as a 'nice to have' - it's a fundamental skill, a necessity. That extends to adults. And even if you can swim you still need to be aware of the dangers of open water."
Speaking to her own children
After witnessing the tragedy, Laura asked her children whether they would know what to do if they got into trouble in the sea, for example in riptides or currents.
She explained: "It's hard because you never want to put your own fears and worries onto children... but they have to be equipped with the right information and be aware of the danger."
Backed by swimming and safety bodies
The campaign is supported by the Royal Life Saving Society, RoSPA, Lee Pitcher MP, the Black Swimming Association, the National Water Safety Forum, the RNLI, Swim England and the Swimming Alliance. Olympic medallist Becky Adlington OBE and triple Olympic champion Tom Dean have also given their backing.
Laura said she has been moved by the stories of those who have died. "And for every statistic there's an individual and a family that's been changed forever. Just like that lad on the beach. We need information that's accessible to everybody, better understanding of the risks around water, and a programme of education. That surely can't be too hard, can it?"
