An emotional new animation re-telling the story of a Rotherham schoolboy who drowned four years ago has been watched more than a quarter of a million times in less than a week.

Sam Haycock was celebrating after his last day of school, a hot day in May 2021, when the 16-year-old visited Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham with friends.

But after getting into difficulty in the water, Sam could not be saved by emergency services.

The short film created by former Pixar animator Gary Andrews forms part of the latest effort by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to prevent young people needlessly drowning in open water.

Watch the video here

Chris Tyler, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: “Sam’s story is incredibly tragic and shows just what can happen if you don’t treat water with respect.

“Water in lakes and reservoirs is often much colder than you think – 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.

“If 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.

“Our ask is to share this video with any young people you know so that we don’t lose any more young people in the water”.

Sam’s dad, Simon, set up the water safety campaign group, Sam’s Army Mission 1Life in memory of his son.
Simon said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children.

“That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers of water through Sam’s Army. But there’s only so much I can do.

“We continue to call on the government to put drowning prevention on the agenda and ensure that no one goes through the trauma we went through.”

Alongside the amination, SYFR issued a list of advice to young people this summer:

• Never jump into open bodies of water – this can cause cold water shock and impact on your ability to swim
• Do not ‘drink and swim’ – alcohol can significantly impact your ability to swim and get to safety
• Don’t be peer pressured into swimming where you aren’t comfortable, or if you can’t swim
• If you get into trouble, float to live – fight the instinct to thrash around, lean back and stay afloat until you can control your breathing and call for help
• If a friend gets into trouble, encourage them to float to live and call 999 immediately

Firefighters across South Yorkshire are urging members of the public to be extra careful during the current heatwave.

Temperatures forecast on Saturday (21 June) have prompted South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue’s fire officers to issue another plea to the public around helping to prevent any wildfires across the county.

They are asking people to stop having garden bonfires during the period of extreme heat, refrain from taking disposable BBQs out with them and to ensure they don’t leave rubbish – especially glass bottles – lying around.

Specifically, officers are asking people to consider the impact of their behaviour and, ultimately, wildfires, on things like the local landscape and wildlife.

“During periods of intense heat the ground becomes so dry – this means that fires are easier to start and will spread so much quicker,” said Area Manager John Billings, head of service delivery.

“Our ask of people is, first and foremost, that they don’t burn rubbish in their garden over the coming days. During a heatwave these small fires can easily get out of hand.

“We’re then asking that, especially this coming weekend, people don’t take disposable BBQs out with them to parks, fields or moorland areas. Whilst we know most people are very responsible, the risk of wildfire is extremely high right now.

“And then last but not least, please take your litter home with you or put it in the bin. This one may seem random, but glass bottles in particular can magnify the sun’s rays and start fires.

“Ultimately we want people to consider the impact of their actions on not just us, but also on local wildlife. When you’re out in the countryside and in moorland areas, you are in their home, and what starts as a small fire can easily grow bigger and see them displaced.”

As well as urging people to be careful with things like BBQs and not to have garden bonfires, the service is also asking residents to be vigilant around deliberate fire-setting.

“Lots of the incidents we attend are deliberately, which is really disappointing, but unfortunately not a huge surprise to us.

“Our final ask of the public is that if they know anyone who is intentionally setting fires – which tie up our crews and can put people at serious risk – then they report it to us.”

Residents can share information on arson, anonymously, by calling 0800 169 5558.

South Yorkshire’s fire chief will meet Parliamentarians this week, as national calls grow to do more to prevent UK drownings.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Kirby will attend the Royal Life Saving Society’s (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week (14 to 21 June) event in his role as water safety lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Later the same day he will present at the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety Education at which he will call on MPs to do more at a national level to tackle drownings. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the UK- but has no dedicated ministerial portfolio in government.

Chris said: “Recent statistics highlight a stark reality: hundreds of accidental drowning deaths occur in the UK each year, many of which could have been prevented with greater awareness, education, and regulation.

“By advocating for a ministerial portfolio, the National Fire Chiefs Council joins other organisations in working towards ensuring that drowning prevention receives the strategic oversight and resources it needs. This portfolio would enable the implementation of robust policies and measures, including public education campaigns, improved access to safety equipment and enhanced collaborations between agencies responsible for water safety.”

Simon Haycock who set up the water safety campaign group, Sam’s Army Mission 1Life after his son sadly drowned at Ulley Reservoir in 2021, will also be visiting Westminster as part of this initiative.

Simon said: “It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children.

“That’s why I’ve dedicated myself to raising awareness and educating young people about the dangers of water through Sam’s Army. But there’s only so much I can do.

“That’s why I join Chris Kirby and  NFCC in calling on the government to put drowning prevention on the agenda and ensure that no one goes through the trauma we went through.”

The campaign group also raises money to provide lifesaving equipment such as throwlines around lakes and reservoirs.

According to Water Incident Database (WAID) statistics* in the period 2020–2024, 1,334 people lost their lives in accidental drowning incidents. Of these, more than half occurred in inland waterways such as rivers, lakes and canals.

The public often believes that fire and rescue services are responsible for responding to these water rescue incidents and delivering water safety prevention work, but there is currently no statutory duty on fire and rescue services in England to do so.

The absence of a statutory duty in England limits the resources fire and rescue services can allocate to water safety and rescue, resulting in differences in equipment, training and standards between fire and rescue services.

Currently there is no dedicated, continuous funding for fire and rescue service inland water safety response and prevention work.

“We are working closely with partners in the National Water Safety Forum to do whatever possible to reduce the risk, but we would like to see an increased political effort to drive down numbers. This also means consulting on giving fire and rescue services in England enhanced legal duties to respond to inland water incidents so that we can be better equipped and prepared to deal with those emergencies when they happen,” said Chris.

Matt Croxall, Interim Charity Director at RLSS UK, added: “As a charity, we are grateful for the partnership and advocacy work shared with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, especially during important campaigns like Drowning Prevention Week.

“Too many lives are lost through accidental drownings each year and that’s why our campaign is so important, as it urges families to learn about water safety and how to respond in an emergency.

“The Westminster event is an important opportunity to highlight the issue of drownings in the UK and make clear the support we require from the Government to ensure everyone can enjoy water safely.”

The Westminster event takes place on 17 June. For more information on drowning prevention, visit Be Water Aware – NFCC