Debbie Anne Turnbull, a mother who lost her only child to drowning, has joined The Mirror's water safety campaign to warn that children who missed swimming lessons during the Covid-19 pandemic are at greater risk of drowning. She fears this could create a 'pandemic' of generations unable to swim.
Decline in swimming attainment
Figures from Sport England show that swimming attainment dropped from 65% in 2018-2019 to 53% during the Covid years, meaning 500,000 fewer children can swim 25 metres. Turnbull, awarded an MBE in 2024 for her water safety education work, said: 'Potentially due to many pool closures during that time, these families may not have had the opportunity to teach their children how to swim.'
She added: 'This follows on and will be a generational concern. This could keep on going until there’s a tragedy in a family. It’s important something is done to make sure these kids are caught up, and not just that but also given life saving skills. Just learning to swim is not enough.'
Campaign support
Labour MP Lee Pitcher, backing the 'For our Sam' campaign, said: 'We also cannot forget the generation of children who missed out on swimming lessons entirely because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pool closures and school disruptions meant some children went through primary school without ever learning to swim or receiving basic water safety education. Many of those children are now about to hit their teenage years where they are exactly the age group most at risk.'
Lorna Goldie, National aquatics competency manager for school swimming at Swim England, noted: 'Too many children missed out on vital swimming lessons during the pandemic and did not have the opportunity to meet the national curriculum expectations for school swimming and water safety while at primary school. We are still seeing the impact of that gap today. It is those young people now in secondary school, or who have recently left, who are most affected.'
According to Sport England's Active Lives survey, only around 72% of secondary-aged pupils can swim 25 metres unaided. Goldie added: 'Learning to swim is not just a life skill, it is a lifesaving one. Every young person deserves the opportunity to learn to swim and enjoy being in the water in a safe way.'
Personal tragedy
Turnbull's son Chris drowned at age 15 in August 2006 at Cyfyng Falls in Snowdonia. He fell into a whirlpool created by heavy rainfall and suffered cold water shock, causing a heart attack. Despite being a strong swimmer, he could not survive. Turnbull said: 'If I knew then what I know now I wouldn’t have allowed Chris to go there. Drowning deaths are preventable with knowledge and caution.'
She urged those who missed out to get water safety education, even if they cannot swim. Her organisation, River and Sea Sense, has spoken to 900,000 children about open water dangers. She said: 'Drowning is fast and silent and dangers are invisible. One conversation could save a life.'
Water safety competencies
Swim England recommends everyone should be able to: perform a star float for at least 60 seconds, tread water for at least 30 seconds, experience swimming in clothing, swim at least 100 metres with ease and without stopping, and understand the Water Safety Code.
