Water safety plea from mum after son’s reservoir death

The mother of a 15 -year -old boy who drowned in a reservoir has said that the impact on the family has been “registered.”

The son of Maxine Johnson, Reuben, died while swimming with friends at the Pontsticill reservoir at Bannau Brycheiniog in 2006.

He has joined the calls of Welsh Water Warning people about the dangers of unauthorized swimming in reservoirs.

The accidental drowning rate in Wales is almost double that of the United Kingdom as a whole, according to the National Water Security Forum.

Reuben was camping with friends and celebrating after finishing their GCSE when some decided to swim through the reservoir.

“Saturday was an extremely hot weather,” Mrs. Johnson recalled.

“They only wore shorts, they had no other protective clothes and, unfortunately, the cold water clash was relocated around three quarters of the road.”

Reuben’s mother said that one “did their best to help him.”

“When they finally arrived on the other side, the children looked back and Reuben has disappeared.”

He took three days to find Reuben’s body, and that memory still lives with his mother.

“The impact is indescribable,” he said. “It’s as if you had torn your heart.

“I want to make sure that other parents, other children, other young people can deceive the message.

“Reuben did not know, so we want to spread the message to relocate, think twice where you are going, where you are swimming.”

People are warned during the Easter holidays that risk their lives swimming, pamos or even entering reservoirs without adequate permission or precautions.

Some deposits contain automatic machinery that works under the surface and have strong currents that can throw under the strongest swimmers.

People are also warned about frozen temperatures in many deposits.

Anything below 15 ° C is defined as cold water and can seriously affect the breathing and movement of people, so the risk is significant of the year.

The cold water clash causes gasp and uncontrolled breathing while the body tries to keep heat and muscles of the limbs will cool, which reduces strength, coordination and ability to swim.

There are several deposits where supervised swimming is allowed, which include:

• Lisvane & Llanishen reservations, Cardiff
• Lyn Brenig Reserir, Denbight Mours
• Landegfedd reservoir, Pontypool

“Not all deposits are designed to swim,” said Daniel Dicomidis, instructor of senior activities in Lisvane & Llanishen reservoirs.

“Most deposits in the country are water stores, there is a lot of heavy machinery under the creation of currents. They are very deep, so how cold they are, in relation to the warm that can be the day, it is very surprising,” he said.

Swimmers are warned that there is a reduced possibility of being rescued in some remote places in Wales due to little or no mobile reception.

On average, almost 50 people die each year in Wales due to water -related incidents, according to Welsh water.

Chris Cousens, president or Water Safety Wales, said: “With the beautiful climate we have on the legs, we know how tempting it can be to cool off in beautiful deposits.

“But only the strongest swimmers can enter cold water shock and this can lead to drowning.”

He said, if you are in difficulty, “relax and float on the back with your ears submerged in the water until the effects of the cold water clash pass, you can swim to a safe place or shout for help.”

Mrs. Johnson said: “For us, as a family and friends, he lacks so many things, so many events, photographs, memories.

“We continue with our lives, but when I see that perhaps one of his friends has had a child or they reach a certain milestone, that is particularly difficult.

“So it is really important to keep the memory of relief through what we are doing.”

The impact has also affected the children who were reluctant that day.

“It has impacted them in different ways over the years,” he said.

“Never, they never thought something like that would happen.”