Sam Haycock: Father of teenager who drowned in South Yorkshire reservoir issues warning as temperatures rise

Simon Haycock has been campaigning in Sam’s memory for the last year and established Sam’s Army’s Mission in order to raise awareness of the dangers of open water swimming and to generate funds for life-saving equipment.

Simon said: “Don’t be tempted to go in and cool off. They’re not the right places to be doing that.

“You can’t see the temperature of the water, you can’t see the undercurrent. It is quite possible you could get into trouble.”

Sam Haycock drowned in May last year after getting into trouble in the waters of the Ulley Reservoir after losing a game of rock, paper, scissors.

Sam and his friends had gone to the reservoir to celebrate the end of their GCSE exams and Sam had tried to save another one of his friends who was struggling before he died.

To mark the anniversary of Sam’s death, the Haycocks, and everyone involved in Sam’s Army’s Mission, held a fun day in Rotherham’s Clifton Park.

The fun day involved a schools competition teaching children how to operate life-saving equipment like throw lines.

Sam’s Army’s Mission raised over £3,000 during the fun day.

Simon’s calls for safety coincide with Drowning Prevention Week, a water safety campaign by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS).

The RLSS website says the campaign is designed to “proactively raise awareness of water safety ahead of a summer outdoors”.

You can read more about the campaign here.