The Dangers Of Open Water Warns Leeds Mum

“I never thought for one minute once I waved Gemma off on that trip that I would never see her again, I waved her goodbye thinking she’d be coming back on Friday with the rest of them.”

The mum of a Leeds teenager who drowned on a school trip to France is warning other parents to be alert to the dangers of open water.

Sharon’s daughter Gemma couldn't swim and was just 13 when she died after getting swept away in the current.

Well figures out today show a fifth of kids have got into difficulty in open water - as part of a new campaign by the Amateur Swimming Association to highlight the dangers young people face in the sea and in lakes.

Sharon's urging other parents to make sure their children know the risks...

“If you can get your child to the local swimming pool and try and get the swimming lessons in, making sure you know exactly what the itinerary is going to be on school trips… Ask as many questions as you want – I was the person who sat back and thought ‘she’ll be fine’. Ask the questions.

“I am aware that accidents do happen and I’ve sadly had to come to terms with that. We have to try and prevent them. Me speaking about it and helping others to realise the dangers out there –I’m just hoping we can get that figured out.”