Sam Haycock: Family walk to raise funds for life saving equipment at waterways

Family and friends of a 16-year-old boy who drowned at a Rotherham reservoir took off on a walk to raise money for life saving equipment at waterways.

Sam Haycock died after he got into difficulty at Ulley Reservoir in May. Police were called but despite efforts to try and save Sam, a body was recovered by emergency crews.

Since his death, his father Simon created a charity in his name to campaign for water safety. It comes after a number of deaths at waterways across our region.

On Saturday Sam's family and friends took on a walk from Ulley Reservoir to Clifton Park in his honour.

His father said accessible life saving equipment is needed around waterways to avoud another family losing a loved one.

''Life stations, currently they all have padlocks on, there's a system you have to go through. It's too long. By having more accessible equipment it's giving them that chance.''

''It tore our family, the pain that we have been through, I couldn't have sat back and done nothing, we're trying to do this to prevent it happening to another family.''

During the hot weather this summer, safety patrols were stepped up around the region's reservoirs to help prevent drownings.

Yorkshire Water brought in twenty extra security staff to keep watch on its most popular locations for visitors after a number of deaths.