Eighteen families say 'enough is enough' as they demand an end to the drowning epidemic

Bereaved families of these eighteen victim's of the nation's drowning epidemic have written an open letter to the Prime Minister to say “enough is enough.” They have joined forces after the latest tragedy in Shoreham-by-Sea, where a family of four died. A six-year-old girl died days after her 14-year-old sister and their mum and dad lost their lives. It was at least the 56th drowning this year according to The Mirror’s research. A massive 60 per cent (34 of those victims) were aged 18 and under. We launched our Save Lives for Sam campaign calling for action after a horrifying spate of drownings in May with 19 people losing their lives in just one week. Now these bereaved families want Andy Burnham to meet them and appoint a Water Safety Minister to end this heartbreak. They wrote: “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… “We are grateful for your support for the Daily 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…” The letter was written by Vanessa Abbess for the bereaved families and has been signed by Simon Haycock, Rebecca Hinde, Nombulelo and Jabulani Ndlovu, Stephanie Williams, Kaddy Ceesay, Dan Pascoe, Robbie Jones, Debbie Turnbull MBE, Mick Scott and Zoe Graham, Michael Swift and Suzie Gough, Joanne Howlett, Megan Griffiths and Andrea Corrie BEM, Nicola Jenkins, Leanne Bartley, Melanie Goodship, and Ren Baldry. Here they tell us why the PM should act now, as they explain the devastation caused to families across the UK by so many drownings. Simon and Gaynor Haycock, whose son Sam, aged 16 drowned at Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham on May 5, 2021. Sam had been out on his bike with pals, celebrating his last day of school when they cycled seven miles to the beauty spot and jumped into a reservoir to cool off. Since the tragedy his dad has been tirelessly visiting schools to warn other children. His dad told the Mirror: “Enough is Enough. I can’t stress enough how important this is to get Sam’s Law implemented and the five points we have been fighting for in place. “This would go a long way in reassuring bereaved families that the Government is taking this seriously and are trying to protect the public from the dangers of open water. We have seen more than 50 deaths this year from drowning yet, it is as if it’s not a priority to the Government. It’s like we have to accept these deaths but most - if not all - could have been prevented.” Vanessa Abbess, whose 17-year-old son Joe Abbess drowned in the sea off Bournemouth on May 31, 2023 Trainee chef Joe, who was a strong swimmer, had gone to the beach with his friends and died on the same day as 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from a separate group. Eight others had to be rescued. He was only waist deep in the water when he was caught by a powerful rip current, which can quickly drag people away from the shallows out to deeper water in a split second. His mum Vanessa told us: "Joe was a lovely son, he was happy and healthy, kind and generous, loving and caring, hardworking and fun. He is massively missed every day and will forever be incredibly loved. He was just stepping into adulthood and loving life, he deserved so much more time. “It should be remembered that all of those who have tragically drowned are people, being grieved by their loved ones, representing many years of life potential, together with a multitude of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. They all need to be remembered for the amazing people they were and we campaign for them, in their legacy" Stephanie Williams lost her 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from Buckinghamshire, May 31, 2023 Sunnah, from High Wycombe, died after being caught in the same rip current that claimed Joe's life. She had gone to the beach with her other brother and sister. Her mum had stayed at home with her youngest daughter, then five, who had chickenpox. They had been in the safer swim zone near Bournemouth pier, patrolled by lifeguards. Sunnah was in the water with her brother and they were up to their chest but then suddenly couldn't touch the bottom. Michael Swift and Susie Gough, whose son Mackenzie Swift - known as 'Kenzie' - drowned aged 11, in the River Don in South Yorkshire on May 30, 2026 Since the tragedy, they have been urging families to avoid the open water after their 11-year-old "little rock" and "sensitive soul" died. The parents spoke to The Mirror in support of our Save Lives for Sam campaign as they are desperate for the Government to take action and increase safety measures around open water. Michael said after signing the letter: "The Prime Minister needs to take note and listen. It was only a matter of time in the summer holidays before more people lost their lives in open water. "Hearing about the latest tragedies brought everything back. There are things that can be done to stop this happening. Why aren't they? It is irreparable the damage it causes." Kaddy Ceesay’s son Muhammed Secka, 16, drowned at Rother Valley country park in South Yorkshire during a day out with pals on May 26, 2026 His mum, Kaddy, signed the letter because she fears it will keep happening until the Government "fix things". "What happened to Muhammed should not happen to anybody." Her son was described as an "absolute privilege to teach" by one of his teachers who wrote to his mum after the tragedy to tell her how he'd told Muhammed he'd hoped his own son grew up to be as "compassionate, respectful, humble and considerate of others" as this teenager was. His mum, told the Mirror: "He was our pillar. Muhammed was our hope. It was the first time he had gone to the Rother Valley. He was invited by his friends in school and never came back. Now he is gone, I'm just living in pain." Dan Pascoe's dad Ian Pascoe, 62, died a 'brave hero' after he drowned trying to save two struggling children on July 12, 2026 The dad was out walking on Seaton Carew beach when he saw Wayne Taylor enter the water, in a bid to save his children, and followed him in. The children survived but tragically both men died. His son Dan, 30, has signed the letter and told us previously in support of our Save Lives for Sam campaign: "He was the kind of person who has always done the right thing. "He was a big advocate for action and so am I. So we back your campaign for action and to raise awareness of water dangers. "We don't want to talk about things, we need to do things. Something has to be done to improve water safety. Then his death will not be in vain." Nombulelo and Jabulani Ndlovu, lost their son Thando who drowned aged 15 in the River Trent on July 20, 2021 His family have told how Thando, is an African name that means 'love', adding: "He truly lived up to it every single day of his life. "Thando was a loving, sincere and charismatic boy, someone who cared deeply for others and was adored by so many. He had a smile that could light up a room the moment he walked in. If he found anyone feeling sad, he would never leave them the same; he lifted spirits, encouraged people, and built confidence in those around him." The family from Derby added: "To prevent other families from going through the pain that mine has lived with, real change needs to happen - starting with the Government. " Rebecca Hinde's eight-year-old son Joshua Hillstead died on July 23, 2024, after being pulled from the River Arrow, Alce The Birmingham mother described how her little boy drowned after paddling during the hot weather when they were staying with their dad for the weekend. His sister, Caitlyn-Ann, then 10, had risked her own life to save him, jumping in to reach him. Rebecca said she rested her hand over his heart as it stopped beating in hospital. "The Government just needs to do better by our emergency services. There needs to be a water minister. We need the right resources in place to save our kids. Why are we not doing more to keep them safe? "It feels like the worst year ever for the amount of deaths there have been. To lose my son in water was unbearable, it’s ridiculous, there’s no words to explain how I feel, no words to describe the pain. I hate that. It’s indescribable...it’s not fair because it’s preventable. If we all did better, people wouldn’t drown, it’s as simple as that. Why is one life not enough to change things?" Robbie Jones' dad Gareth Jones, 69, drowned trying to save his dog in the sea at Hove on January 18, 2021 His final moments were caught on CCTV and it took just 54 seconds for the waves to claim him. Robbie Jones said: “Gareth, my Dad, was a fun, sociable and charismatic man. He is so much missed by all our family and his friends. “Dads die, but they aren’t meant to drown and knowing how preventable his death was is heartbreaking and adds another layer to the grief we are feeling. “It took just 54 seconds, after entering the sea, to never see Dad again. I watched the CCTV of him trying his very best to get out to safety. This shows how powerful the sea can be. Dad was a force of nature, taken by the force of nature. I urge you Prime Minister to act.” Michael 'Mick' Scott and his daughter Zoe Graham, are a family who have suffered a double drowning tragedy on May 24, 2023 Twelve years after Michael's brother Andrew Scott, 46, died in the River Aire and Calder in Castleford, West Yorkshire, the family suffered another heartbreaking loss. Michael's grandson and Zoe Graham's 16-year-old son Tyler Wilson, tragically drowned in the exact same stretch of the waterway on May 24, 2023 after being hit by cold water shock. Former miner Mick Scott, 67, said: “It’s getting worse not better. They need to act on what’s happening and put something on telly and things like that. People need to see what’s happening. They need more statistics out there. My daughter and wife are at the coast now at Skegness, they are really aware of the dangers but everyone needs to be. I want these drownings to stop. "It just fetches me back to Tyler, we are trying to get the information out and every other day it's still happening. Why is nobody doing anything about it, Why?’ Debbie Anne Turnbull MBE. Her son Chris died after falling into a whirlpool at the bottom of a waterfall while out with friends. His mum, founder And MD of RIver And Sea Sense Ltd, said: “It was 20 years on Friday since my son drowned and it hit me hard. The loss in the early years affected my mental health and I no longer wished to live. I set up a Legacy education project but there's so many people out there who can’t and they just exist day to day without the mental health support and people don’t understand this type of grief of losing a child unless they’ve been through it. "People still avoid me even 20 years on because they don’t know how to deal with it. I have been campaigning across the UK and internationally ever since. We need more funding for the work people like me do. “Without question we need a water safety minister. It is vital a minister, whoever he or she may be, understands this. I’d do it myself if I could! Our emergency services have trauma support but if everyone knew how to regulate their nervous system the whole world would be a better place." Which is why I have invested in this training to help others.” Joanne Howlett, 61, from Norwich, whose son Lewis, 25, drowned at Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on May 30, 2020 Joanne said: “I lost my wonderful son Lewis to drowning, a tragedy that should never have happened. "It has affected the lives of everyone who knew him, the shock, heartache and sadness never goes away. I know if there had been warning signs around the Nature Reserve where my son died, he would still be with us and living his best life. “There has been lots done to raise the awareness of water safety but there is so much more to do. It is unacceptable that more isn't being done to stop this happening year after year, it is just heartbreaking. “I do get very annoyed when I see open water swimming being encouraged as a healthy, popular and trendy thing to do without any danger warnings. and can only be sending out mixed messages. Entering open waters is dangerous and cold water shock can affect even the strongest, healthiest swimmer. “So much more needs to be done to make everyone aware they are risking their lives by entering any type of open water.” Megan Griffiths, 30, whose brother Haydn, 23, went Haydn was a sailor, a scuba diver and paddle boarder with water safety knowledge. His sister said in a direct message to the PM: “Our brother Haydn was just 23 when he drowned while swimming off the Wirral coast in 2022. We are a Lowton family and Haydn grew up sailing on and swimming in Pennington Flash, part of the community you represented for so many years. "He was incredibly fit and athletic, a strong swimmer and competitive sailor. Losing Haydn to the water showed us that drowning really can happen to anyone. “We can’t change what happened to Haydn, but by raising awareness and sharing his story, we can help save others and leave a positive legacy in his memory. “We hope you will support stronger national leadership on water safety to help prevent more avoidable deaths and save other families from experiencing a tragic loss like ours.” Melanie Goodship's son James, 17, drowned on June 22, 2014 This photo on a raft was taken moments before the tragedy at Foulridge Reservoir. His mum Melanie from Colne in Lancashire said his death and all the other drownings were "needless and preventable". She told how James was on this raft in a reservoir on one of the hottest days of the year when it began to drift and James decided to swim to the shore. "His friend managed to get back on the raft but James continued to swim and ultimately it was swim failure. He was a strong swimmer and I had no concerns about him being in the open water. But we didn't know the dangers of open water then. All his friends were 16 and 17 and watched a really close friend die and it has affected them greatly." His mum has signed the letter in his memory adds: "A lot more can be done, I find in our area we are reactive rather than proactive. Its heart-wrenching all the work we try to do and the children we speak to, it seems to go unheard. "I'm in my 50s now and I remember the TV public safety adverts we used to have, why can't we use social media platforms to put campaigns out like this? I would be happy for a picture of James by the reservoir saying 'I died here'. Sometimes I think we need that shock tactic." Ren Baldry, 46, lost her son Ryan, 19, who drowned in the sea at West Wittering beach on the September 4, 2023 His mum said: "Ryan was 19 when he got into the water for a last minute dip and we believe he got caught in a rip current, he tried to get back in and kept going until he couldn’t any more. "We believe there needs to be far more open water education especially in secondary schools when children and young people are more likely to be going out with friends and needing to make decisions without parental supervision. "Everyone should have the opportunity to learn about open water safety, dangerous conditions and be educated beyond the early years swimming lessons in pools. "There should be more personal independent safety aids equipment at beaches especially for when the life guards have left. In Ryan’s case he needed something to hold on to and there was no life Bouyancy aids along the beach" for his friend to get hold of "and the life guard had left for the day. " Andrea Brighton university student James from Addlestone, drowned after becoming separated from friends during a night out. His body was discovered three days later. “I don’t understand why there isn’t a water safety and drowning prevention minister,” his mum said, after signing the letter. Andrea was awarded the British Empire Medal for her deciation to promoting water safety issues. She first started to speak out after going to see the place where her son had spent his last few moments and being left "horrified" to discover a lack of safety equipment. Leeanne Bartley’s Mark had been with a group of five or six friends when they waded in the water and jumped 10ft into the water from a huge pipe. Leeanne, from Ruthin, Denbighshire, said: “I fully support the appointment of a Water Safety Minister... It wont bring our children and family members back however it will give us more support knowing that someone is in place in a professional hands on role.” After her son died she told how she leaned over his body and made a promise to make things safer for other people. Nicola Jenkins’ lost her 12-year-old son Owen on July 10, 2017 after he heroically went to help his two friends. She described her son as a ‘beautiful hero’ and explained: “In 2017 we lost our 12 year old son after two of his friends got into difficulty in open water at Beeston Weir Nottingham. “Owen was not in the water as he was always scared of drowning but on this occasion he thought the only thing to do was to go and rescue the girls. He saved the first girl and brought her back to safety and when he went in for the second girl he was pulled under the water by a hydroplant and drowned… “I agree that we need someone in parliament to advocate for us as parents of children who have lost their lives to open water incidents...” Ross Macleod, RNLI Water Safety Manager, said: "We have huge admiration for the families who have turned unimaginable personal loss into action to help prevent others experiencing the tragedy of drowning. "Courage is one of the RNLI’s core values, and these families embody that through their determination to share their stories to help prevent further tragedies taking place." Pete Kennedy from the Royal Life Saving Society UK said: “Each person lost to drowning leaves family, friends, and communities with a lifetime of grief. RLSS UK stands with families bereaved by drowning and echoes their call for action to be taken to prevent more tragedies. “The Prime Minister should start by appointing a Minister with responsibility for water safety, to lead on policy development in this area. Only the Government can implement the World Health Organization’s drowning prevention guidance, and implement the recommendations of the Government commissioned Independent Review of the Legal Responsibility for Beach Safety from 2019. By working together, we can enable everyone to enjoy water safely, free from drowning.” The open 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 Organization recognises it as 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 Daily 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. Yours sincerely, Families bereaved by drowning.”