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An emotional new animation re-telling the story of a Rotherham schoolboy who drowned four years ago has been watched more than a quarter of a million times.
The video follows what happened to Sam Haycock, a 16-year-old celebrating after his last day of school with friends, on a hot day in May 2021, at Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham. After getting into difficulty in the water, Sam could not be saved by emergency services.
The short film, created by former Pixar animator Gary Andrews, forms part of the latest effort by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR) to prevent young people needlessly drowning in open water.
“Sam’s story is incredibly tragic and shows just what can happen if you don’t treat water with respect.
“Water in lakes and reservoirs is often much colder than you think – even on hot days. It can cause your body to go into cold water shock, leaving you helpless in seconds. There can also be hidden currents that can overpower even strong swimmers.
“If you want to swim in open water it is best do this as part of an organised group who consider the weather and other factors that could impact safety, and take care to properly acclimatise to the water temperatures.
“Our ask is to share this video with any young people you know so that we don’t lose any more young people in the water”.
Chris Tyler, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue
Sam’s dad, Simon, set up the water safety campaign group, Sam’s Army Mission 1Life in memory of his son.
Simon said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children. That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers of water through Sam’s Army. But there’s only so much I can do.
“We continue to call on the government to put drowning prevention on the agenda and ensure that no one goes through the trauma we went through.”
In June, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) met with MPs and Ministers to discuss the urgent need for class-based water safety education in schools, as part of its annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign, after it was revealed that child drownings have doubled since 2019.
Despite the gravity of the issue, the UK government has yet to formally adopt all critical recommendations set out in the UN Assembly’s 2021 Resolution on drowning prevention. Instead, initiatives remain reliant on voluntary networks like the NWSF, hosted by RoSPA, which has acted as a national focal point for this lifesaving work since 2004
In sharp contrast, devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland have each assigned responsibility for drowning prevention to a named government minister. Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy has driven a 10% reduction in accidental drowning fatalities since 2019.
Alongside the amination, SYFR issued a list of advice to young people this summer:
- Never jump into open bodies of water – this can cause cold water shock and impact on your ability to swim
- Do not ‘drink and swim’ – alcohol can significantly impact your ability to swim and get to safety
- Don’t be peer pressured into swimming where you aren’t comfortable, or if you can’t swim
- If you get into trouble, float to live – fight the instinct to thrash around, lean back and stay afloat until you can control your breathing and call for help
- If a friend gets into trouble, encourage them to float to live and call 999 immediately.
In November, Catherine Levin spoke with Dawn Whittaker, then Chair of the National Water Safety Forum, about what’s needed to boost action for improved water safety at a national level and drive down the number of accidental drownings that occur across the country every year. Read the full interview here.
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