Mum issues water safety warning following tragic death of her son

The mum of a teenager who drowned swimming in a quarry is to deliver an emotional presentation to young people in Doncaster on the horror of losing her son.

Beckie Ramsay will be talking to youngsters about her son Dylan who died in 2011 at a quarry in Whittle-le-Woods, in Chorley, Lancashire, aged just 13.

Dylan was swimming in a quarry and had been in the water about twenty minutes before getting into difficulties. He was pulled from the water and given CPR but was unable to be resuscitated.

Ever since, Beckie has worked tirelessly to promote water safety and has launched a campaign in his memory ‘Doing it for Dylan’.

Doing it for Dylan was set up to get water safety messages to children, students and adults to raise the awareness around the dangers of swimming in open water.

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue (SYFR), in partnership the Club Doncaster Foundation, is running the National Citizen Service (NCS), a three week programme for young people in the Doncaster area during the summer holidays. One aspect of the programme covers water safety.

Beckie Ramsay will be at the Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster today to talk to the youngsters aged 16/17 about her tragic experience.

Beckie said: “I want these young people to realise that just because the sun is hot outside, the water isn’t. Open water is stronger, deeper, colder and more dangerous than you think. It’s not worth the risk to your life and putting your family through the pain that I have been through.”

SYFR Head of Prevention & Protection Steve Helps said; “We regularly receive 999 calls in the summer about people getting into difficulty in water. It can be tempting to cool off in the summer months, but stick to a swimming pool. Hundreds of people drown each year in the UK and places like rivers, lakes or flooded quarries are completely unsuitable for swimming as they hide a number of hidden dangers.”

Programme Manager Jan Budtz at NCS said; “We are delighted to have SYFR involved with our NCS programme this summer.  The sessions will raise valuable awareness to the young people, and the partnership with SYFR will hopefully continue for the years to come reaching hundreds of young people through the programme.”