"I didn't expect to die today": Watch crucial water safety film telling story of Rotherham teen Sam Haycock

16-year-old Sam Haycock died after jumping into the Ulley reservior in an attempt to cool off on a hot summer’s day in 2021, just hours after finishing his final GCSE exams.

“It’s 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 he’s gone,” said Simon Haycock, Sam’s father who set up the water safety campaign group Sam’s Army in memory of his son.

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Watch the video below:

“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to outlive their children. I want to make sure that no other families have to go through what we went through.

“I hope that this video will make young people think first before jumping into a lake or reservoir on a hot day.”

Since the video was released by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue this morning, it has been met with widespread praise from social media users across the country.

Fire & Rescue services across the country, including Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Gloucestershire, have referred to the film as a “great video”.

Ade Parkin, 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”.

Alongside the video, 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 – there is advice on this below
• If a friend gets into trouble, encourage them to float to live and call 999 immediately

Last year there were 236 accidental drownings in the UK. This is up from 226 in 2022.

Float to live is the universal advice from Fire & Rescue teams across the country for those who get into trouble in deep water.

You should: Fight the instinct to thrash around and instead lean back, extending your arms and legs; move around gently, if you need to, to stay afloat; stay afloat until you feel calmer and can control your breathing; only then, call for help and try and swim to safety.