"It's a piece of you missing" - dad of Rotherham teen who drowned determined to create his legacy
16 year old Sam Haycock died in Ulley Reservoir earlier this summer
Last updated 16th Jul 2021
The dad of a Rotherham teenager who drowned this summer says he's determined to stop others going through the same pain his family's experienced.
In a broadcast exclusive, Simon Haycock's been speaking to us about his son Sam who died in Ulley Reservoir back in May and his efforts to make sure no-one goes through something similar.
The 16 year old got into difficulty swimming in the water after his last day at school and, despite a friend trying to save him and a huge emergency rescue operation, his body was eventually recovered from the reservoir.
Now friends and family are setting up a charity, called Sam's Army Mission, to raise funds for more life saving equipment at Ulley and to raise awareness of water safety.
Simon tells us Sam's death has had a huge impact on him:
"It's a piece of you missing. You still think he's going to come through the door. It's just disbelief that it's happened. So that's why we're doing what we're doing - to stop other people being in the situation that we're in and feeling this pain.
"It'd be so easy for me to sit in a chair crying every day. I'm no good to Sam being like that. So we've got to move forward with this and we've got to try and prevent anybody being in this situation we're in.
All this summer we've been highlighting the dangers of open water swimming in our Get Water Wise campaign, amid fears we could see a spike in drownings this year because young people have been kept inside during multiple lockdowns.
Sam's family have given authorities permission to use his story as an example when delivering water safety sessions in schools.
Simon says education is a big part of tackling the problem:
"He thought he was having a fun day. I've done a lot like that when I was a child and I've come out of it unscathed. And Sam was unlucky that on that particular day he wasn't.
"Kids feel like they're invincible and they're not. And we need to educate them that yes, the water looks inviting, but it's dangerous.
"For me, having Sam's face on it and having Sam's name on it makes it real to these children, especially the children that knew him. It brings it home - that this can happen to me. And hopefully that'll stop them."
There is a throwline at Ulley Reservoir where Sam lost his life but to stop vandalism it's locked in a box and there's a telephone number to call in order to get a pin to get in.
The equipment was installed in memory of Dylan Ramsey who drowned in Lancashire ten years ago.
Simon wants lifesaving equipment at Ulley that's more accessible in an emergency:
"His friend had jumped in to try and save him and then got into difficulty. So we could be talking about two boys sadly have gone. Luckily his friend came back out but having this equipment, he might not have had to jump in. He could have thrown a ring to him or a line to him or something like that."
Friends and damily of Sam are organising events like a sponsored walk and a fun day to raise money and are seeking charitable status for Sam's Army Mission.