EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham vowed to press forward with action to save lives after Vanessa Abbess and Simon Haycock, who both lost teenage sons, urged him to adopt the Save Lives for Sam campaign demands
Andy Burnham has paid tribute to families who lost loved ones to drowning – as he vowed to do more to prevent avoidable tragedies.
Heartbroken parents Vanessa Abbess and Simon Haycock, who both lost teenage sons, issued a heartfelt plea for the government to deliver on The Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam Campaign.
Simon, whose son Sam was just 16 when he drowned in Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham in 2021, said adopting the changes would mean he could finally sleep better at night knowing he had made a difference.
And Vanessa, mum of 17-year-old Joe, who died in May 2023 at Bournemouth beach, said her son would want her to tell his story to save lives.
Mr Burnham told The Mirror: “No parent should ever have to go through what Vanessa and Simon have been through. My thoughts are with them, and with every family who has lost someone they love to drowning.
“I want to thank them, and the Mirror, for turning their grief into a campaign that will help keep other people’s children safe. There is more we can do to prevent these avoidable tragedies, and we will keep working with the National Water Safety Forum on its new Drowning Prevention Strategy to make that happen.
“In the meantime, I’d urge everyone to remember how dangerous open water can be, and the real risk of cold water shock, even for strong swimmers.”
The strategy was launched in July, with greater commitments to education and awareness – but campaigners say the government must go further.
On Tuesday Vanessa and Simon handed in a letter signed by 18 bereaved families who lost loved ones to drownings. They held aloft pages from The Mirror with pictures of young people whose lives were lost in the national epidemic.
Vanessa said: “It would mean the absolute world if the government acts. Joe’s story should never have been one of loss and sadness. It should have been of opportunity. He had such high hopes of the world, he was ambitious and brave and excited for the future.
“But that was snatched away. But if his story has a life-saving legacy, that’s something. It’s still somewhere special for him to be in the world.”
Joe was swimming in a safe zone when a rip current swept him off his feet and dragged him out to sea. Another swimmer, 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, died the same day.
Vanessa said: “It is truly heartbreaking that the world was so cruel that day. I feel very strongly that if Joe was here, he would be saying ‘We need to tell people, mum. This could happen over and over and over again.’
“So that was the reason I got involved with the water safety industry, starting to tell the story, and subsequently have met other bereaved families to be able to tell the stories.
“We have strength together, and if we’re standing together, we can make a change.”
The Mirror launched the Save Lives for Sam campaign after a horrifying spate of drownings in May, in a bid to stop what has been called a national epidemic.
At least 19 people lost their lives in open water during the heatwave that month, including 13 children. The Royal Life Saving Society warns that 90% of accidental drownings in the last five years have taken place in open water.
It is estimated that more than 30 children drown each year in open water – and if hotter temperatures become the norm, experts fear the number could climb higher.
Our campaign demands an urgent public awareness campaign with lifesaving advice, targeting parents and children on social media. It also calls for water companies and those in charge of large water bodies to bring in safety equipment.
Compulsory lessons in schools to teach survival techniques, appointing a Minister for Water Safety and legal requirements to install safety equipment are also called for.
Simon, whose son’s death inspired the campaign, told The Mirror: “The numbers are scary. And it’s almost as if it’s just going under the radar.
“It isn’t going under the radar for all these families. It is absolutely devastating, but the saddest thing of all that it is very, very preventable. And by getting these measures put in place, specifically the water safety minister, that can go a long way to save a lot of people’s lives.”
Asked how much it would mean to him to see the campaign goals adopted, he said: “It’d be really, really massive. I set out on this journey not knowing what we were doing, but to have that acknowledgment and to get this over the line would be absolutely massive and it’ll allow me to sleep better at night, knowing we’ve done everything we possibly can to prevent any more of these tragedies.
“Sam was 16. He was a cheeky chappy, he loved his judo, was very, very popular with his friends. He’d help do anything for his friends. He’d just left school, was looking forward to college and obviously what life brings.
“It’s a real disaster that that’s been cut short. Not just for us, but obviously for him and all the things that he was looking forward to. But from our point of view, it’s all the memories we’ve lost as well. So it’s not just about losing your son, and we cherish all the memories that we’ve got with him, but we’ve been denied the memories that we could have made.”
The letter to the PM said: “These tragedies continue happening all too frequently, and we fear that longer, hotter summers will place even more people at risk around our waters in future.”
And it continued: “We are grateful for your support for the Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam campaign, and for your recent recognition of the urgent need to improve water safety. Your words have given us hope but they must now be followed by action.”
Vanessa’s constituency MP, Darren Paffey, told The Mirror: “I pay the greatest respect to Vanessa in that she has turned utter tragedy into something which could change that outcome for so many more people in this country.”
And reflecting on photos of drowning victims, he said: “Looking again at some of the photos of the young people who’ve died, for any parent, and obviously anyone who’s not even a parent, this will hit home because those are lives lost. It’s their futures that they will now never live because of devastating, tragic moments that have then turned into lifelong pain for their family.
“So it does hammer home how we need to do something about this.”
Ross Macleod, water safety manager at the RNLI, told The Mirror: “We are full of admiration and support for the families who have shown such bravery in channelling their experiences of personal tragedy into positive action to help save more lives from drowning. We thank them and wish them well – their courage and determination will no doubt help to prevent further tragedies.”
Pete Kennedy, head of policy and public affairs at the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) said: “This open letter reminds us all why it is so important to prevent drowning and enable everyone to enjoy water safely.
“We echo the families’ demands to the Prime Minister. The PM should meet urgently with the families and charities working on water safety. He should appoint a Minister responsible for water safety to turn words into policy and action.
“Drownings are preventable and the government must act now.”
The families’ letter in full
Dear Prime Minister
Anyone can drown. No one should. But our beloved family members did. We write to you from the heart, as families bereaved by the tragic drownings of our loved ones.
There have been far too many drowning fatalities this year. Each new death is deeply distressing because we know the grief and heartbreak another family is suddenly facing.
During just one week in May, 19 people lost their lives in accidental water-related incidents, including 13 children and young people.
These tragedies continue happening all too frequently, and we fear that longer, hotter summers will place even more people at risk around our waters in future.
Drowning is preventable. The World Health Organisation recognises it is a serious public health issue, and in 2021 the UK joined other nations in adopting the first United Nations resolution on global drowning prevention.
Yet, five years later, there is still no minister or department within the UK government with responsibility for drowning prevention or coordinating action across departments.
We are grateful for your support for the Mirror’s Save Lives for Sam campaign, and for your recent recognition of the urgent need to improve water safety. Your words have given us hope but they must now be followed by action.
We urge you to meet with bereaved families, supported by members of the National Water Safety Forum, so that we can share our experiences and discuss the action needed to prevent other families from suffering as we have.
We also ask you to appoint a minister with clear responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention as a matter of urgency.
New drowning prevention strategies for the UK and each of its four nations are ready to be put into action. What is needed now is leadership and support from the heart of government.
We cannot bring back those we have lost. But, with your help, we can prevent more lives from being lost and more families from experiencing this heartbreak.
Please meet with us and help us turn words into action.
Your sincerely
Families bereaved by drowning:
Vanessa Abbess
Joanne Howlett
Simon Haycock
Megan Griffiths
Rebecca Hinde
Andrea Corrie BEM
Nombulelo and Jubulani Ndlovu
Nicola Jenkins
Kaddy Ceesay
Leeane Bartley
Robbie Jones
Stephanie Williams
Debbie Turnbull MBE
Melanie Goodship
Mick Scott and Zoe Graham
Ren Baldry
Michael Swift and Susie Gough
Dan Pascoe
