Four new pieces of open water safety equipment installed across Rotherham this week
They've been set up on the back of funding supplied by Simon Haycock who lives in the town
A Rotherham man insists 'he's driven' to make sure all South Yorkshire's waterways have the necessary water safety equipment on site.
We've been speaking to Simon Haycock at the Ulley reservoir in Rotherham-where his teenage son Sam drowned back in 2021.
He says four new 'throw line boards' have been installed in the town over the past week at various locations thanks to the funds raised since Sam's tragic death:
"The education side of this is massive. We'll keep on delivering the safety messages about open water in schools this year, but not everybody listens.
"So, it's vital to have this equipment here, just in case something does go wrong.
"Rotherham's obviously where we've started installing these extra pieces of equipment, and I want to go into other areas of South Yorkshire and beyond.
"It's not just a problem that's in our area; it's nationwide.
"I think it's really important that we get as many of these 'throw line boards' set up before the start of the summer.
"On this particular site, where there's a bridge, a reach pole could be really beneficial.
"We decided that Ulley reservoir would get an extra bit of equipment because of the bridge.
"It doesn't matter how good of a swimmer you are-this can happen to anybody who goes in the open water."
In total, Simon Haycock has worked to raise over £15,000 so far since his 16-year-old son's death.