A bereaved mother has issued a heartbreaking message and a warning to fellow parents over the hidden dangers of open water.
It was a sunny July afternoon in 2011 when Dylan Ramsay went for a swim with friends in a local quarry.
His mother, Beckie, was at a football match when her phone rang. It was the police. Dylan was trapped in the water.
By the time she reached the scene, it was too late. Her husband met her at the car and told her their son was dead.
Speaking to GB News, Beckie recalled collapsing to the ground and making a sound "like an animal" — because in that moment, she says, that's exactly what she was: "An animal yearning for her little boy."
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't teach you. I'm sorry I didn't know."
In the years since Dylan's death, Beckie has dedicated herself to teaching parents and children about the hidden dangers of open water — riptides, cold water shock, currents and submerged debris among them.
"Water safety isn't about putting a pair of pyjamas on and jumping into a nice, warm, sanitised swimming pool, and picking up a rubber brick from the bottom of the pool," she said.
"Your children need to be educated. And if I could give any parent any piece of advice, it would be: please, please, please educate yourself, so then you can educate your children.
"And then at least they can make an educated choice."
Today marks Global Drowning Prevention Day, an international effort to raise awareness of the dangers posed by open water.
The warning comes as figures show at least 29 people have drowned in the UK this summer already.
With further heatwaves forecast, water safety experts are urging the public to learn what to do if they, or someone else, get into difficulty.
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Jim Bridge, Water Safety Development Officer for Greater Manchester, says the advice is simple: float to live.
- Lie on your back, head tilted back, ears submerged
- Use your arms and legs to steady yourself
- Let your body adjust to the water temperature and control your breathing
- Only once you're stable, shout for help or swim to safety
If you see someone else struggling, Bridge's advice is "phone, float, throw".
- Call 999 if you're inland, or the Coastguard if you're at the coast
- Talk the person through the "float to live" technique
- If you can, throw something that floats — a football, a life ring, or any public rescue equipment nearby
Experts stress that you should not jump in after someone unless you are completely certain you can do so safely.
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