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MPs and campaigners join grieving families to demand water safety action on Mirror campaign after 19 deaths

EXCLUSIVE: MPs, campaigners and grieving families gathered in Westminster urging the government to improve water safety education ahead of the six-week school summer holidays

Politicians gathered in the heart of Westminster yesterday to demand the government takes action on water safety ahead of the school holidays.

The call to arms came after 13 children and six adults lost their lives to drowning during the recent heatwave. Among those at the meeting was Doncaster East and Isle of Axholme MP Lee Pitcher, who has tirelessly campaigned to keep youngsters safe in water.

He told the Mirror: Ive spoken to many bereaved parents whose children have tragically drowned its the most horrendous thing in the world and I dont want to see anyone else go through that heartache.

[Four people hold water safety banner outside Houses of Parliament ]

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The group are calling for a water safety campaign ahead of the school holidays (Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)

"The government has the ability now to step in and support and do something to save lives. We know its going to be a hot summer and people are going to be drinking because of the World Cup, so Im calling on the government to do a huge national campaign to warn people of the risks of going into open water unsupervised.

[Group of people stand next to Houses of Parliament holding water safety banner]

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Politicians, campaigners and grieving families gathered in Westminster(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)

Mr Pitcher who is heading up the Private Members Bill Sams Law on water safety is one of several MPs, sportspeople, campaigners and grieving families who have pledged their support for the Mirrors Save Lives for Sam campaign. Were urging the government to launch a campaign ahead of the six-week school summer holiday to educate youngsters on how to stay safe in and around water.

Sam Haycock, 16, died in May 2021 after getting into trouble in a reservoir on the last day of school. His grieving dad, Simon Haycock, joined MPs at the Westminster event on Tuesday and told us: 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.

[Woman in pink jacket and man in white shirt pose for picture]

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Vanessa Abbess and Simon Haycock lost their sons in drowning incidents(Image: Jonathan Buckmaster)

"In May, when Sam died and the recent deaths occurred, the water is still very cold despite hot weather and thats where young people are getting caught out because they assume if its hot the water is going to be warm. Thats when they get themselves into some real difficulty and sadly not enough people know what to do when they get into difficulty.

Simon was joined by Vanessa Abbess, whose 17-year-old boy Joe died in a rip current off Bournemouth beach in 2023. She added: 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.

[The Mirror has laid out a list of demands to tackle water safety]

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The Mirror has laid out a list of demands to tackle water safety

Jim Dickson, MP for Dartford, came along to the event after one of his constituents drowned during the recent hot spell. He said: We had a very sad case of a young man, who jumped into a flooded quarry pit and didnt 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. "Its tragic - many of the people who died in water related incidents in the recent heat wave are young people. Its tragic and its avoidable. Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen and former minister Anneliese Dodds also attended.

[Man in suit speaks in parliament]

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MP Jim Dixson told how one of his constituents drowned during the recent hot spell

Pete Kennedy, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the Royal Life Saving Society UK, which organised the gathering, said: Were 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."

[Infographic on the British drowning crisis]

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Brits are gripped by a drowning crisis

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS 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 our fight.

[Logo for the Mirror's Save Lives for Sam campaign]

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The Mirror has launched the Save Lives for Sam campaign

Together, we are all calling for:

1. The Government to launch an urgent public awareness campaign ahead of the summer holidays which targets parents and children on TikTok and other social media platforms. This should include lifesaving techniques and advice such as avoid diving into the water and information on cold water shock.
2. Water companies and those in control of high risk large water bodies, to do the right thing by bringing in the correct safety equipment.
3. Compulsory lessons in schools (ahead of the holidays) on how to survive if you get into difficulty in the water, which should include the Water Safety Code, the RNLI Float to Live campaign, and Phone-Float-Throw bystander advice.
4. Put in place Sams Law. We urge the Government to make it law that safety equipment should be installed around high risk large bodies of water and make damaging this safety equipment an aggravated criminal offence to damage or steal this safety equipment. Currently it is already a criminal offence under theft or criminal damage but the penalties are low for these very minor offences.
5. And finally the appointment of a Minister for Water Safety, as they have in Wales and Scotland, as drowning must be accepted as a preventable public health issue.

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