Firefighters are urging young people to think again before jumping into lakes and reservoirs by sharing the heart breaking true story of Sam Haycock, a 16-year-old boy who drowned after jumping into Ulley Reservoir in a new water safety campaign.
The campaign, called โSamโs Storyโ, centres around a short film that follows Sam on his last day and the events leading up to his tragic death (see below) and has been launched during Drowning Prevention Week, a campaign led by the Royal Life Saving Society.
โItโs the absence that gets you. One minute your son is there, looking forward to the summer holidays and the next chapter of his life at college, and then heโs gone,โ says Simon Haycock, Samโs father who set up the water safety campaign group Samโs Army in memory of his son.
โItโs every parentโs worst nightmare to outlive their children. I want to make sure that no other families have to go through what we went through.
โI hope that this video will make young people think first before jumping into a lake or reservoir on a hot day.โ
Ade Parkin, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: โSamโs story is incredibly tragic and shows just what can happen if you donโt treat water with respect.
โWater in lakes and reservoirs is often much colder than you think โ 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.
โIf 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 acclimatize to the water temperatures.
โOur ask is to share this video with any young people you know so that we donโt lose any more young people in the waterโ.
As part of the campaign the service is carrying out educational activities at Ulley Reservoir throughout June with schoolchildren from across the county.
