I lost my only son to a trendy swimming craze, it’s a death trap – I’m begging other families to avoid it
WITH summer finally hotting up and kids across the nation breaking up from school, many will be looking for ways to cool off.
While few of us will be lucky enough to have access to our own pools, the wild swimming is becoming increasingly popular with Brits heading to rivers, ponds and lakes to submerge themselves.
But while the sport is a hit among Brits with the hashtag displaying almost 800,000 posts on Instagram, one mum is urging swimmers to avoid open water this summer.
Vicky Waugh lost her only child, Kalen, when he drowned whilst swimming with friends at the age of 16.
The mum has been unable to go near water since and was too distressed even to take balloons to the spot where he died on his birthday.
On the second anniversary of his death, she has called for lessons to be learned, and is pleading for other children to stay away from open water.
But with the death toll already rising this year, she fears more lives will be lost.
Vicky, 34, from Salford, says: “I try not to read the news now because I hate to see that another child has drowned.
“Every time it’s sunny, I panic, thinking people will be diving into rivers and lakes.
“Children need educating about the dangers but there is also a lot more the authorities could do; fencing water off and erecting signs.
“Open water needs to be properly policed because it is dangerous.
“It’s been two years since I lost my son and this year feels even worse than the first.
“I haven’t been able to access any counselling or support and I feel completely isolated. I just don’t want any other parent to suffer like me.”
Kalen drowned after getting into difficulty in Salford Quays in July 2022. His devastated mother had to wait overnight until his body was recovered and his death was confirmed.
A few weeks later, she collected Kalen’s GCSE’s, which had secured him his dream place at college to study construction.
Vicky says: “Kalen was my only son, I was a single mum and so we were inseparable. We did everything together.
“My recurring worry was how he’d cope if anything ever happened to me. Not for a moment did I think he would die first.
“He wasn’t even planning to swim that day, but he was a strong swimmer and a fit young lad. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
“There were reports of him going under the surface, but his body was not recovered until early the following morning.
“I spent the night convincing myself it wasn’t true, and hoping he would just walk through the door.
“It was torture. Two years on, my life is a blur. I miss him so much and I have not been able to enter his bedroom. It is just as he left it.
“I just hope Kalen’s legacy can be to educate other youngsters against the dangers of open-water swimming.”
Vicky was just 15 when she fell pregnant with Kalen, and was supported by her mum, Dawn, and Nanna, Sandra.
She says: “Kalen was a real live wire; he was always on the go, always full of energy. He had a really good heart too.
“He took my Nanna to see Mamma Mia at the cinema, even though it was his idea of hell, just to make her happy.”
HOW TO STAY SAFE WHILE WILD SWIMMING
Swimming outdoors is a great way to keep fit and you can also have some water activities there too.
Before heading for a wild swim it is important to do some research into water safety.
You’ll find many places that host water activities or games which follow many safety measures.
There are also several wild swimming spots, such as the Hampstead Ponds in London, that are attended by a lifeguard – it is advised to stick to these swim spots.
But be aware that you are still swimming in the unknown, especially when it comes to swimming in seas or oceans.
Try to be as safe as possible and do not take any unnecessary risk, pick spots that are known to be safe for swimming – never jump into unknown waters.
As well as letting your body become acclimatised to the temperature of the water, you need to check for any currents.
Throwing in a stick will let you see how fast the flow is.
Also make sure to pay attention to any warnings that the authorities may release about the swimming area, such as wind warnings, cleanliness of the area and maybe if there are any risk of dangerous creatures or excess of plants, such as weed, reeds and algae.
Check for any signs to indicate whether swimming is prohibited.
Do not dive or jump into any water if you don’t know how deep it is.
Make sure that you have a clear entry and exit point and never swim alone.
Also ensure that you keep close to the banks or shore.
Never swim in the sea where warning flags are in place or there are known rip tides.
In 2018, Dawn died suddenly aged 48 and in 2020, Sandra died from cancer.
Vicky says: “Their deaths hit us both hard, but if anything, we were even closer through our grief. I was proud of the way Kalen coped.
“After leaving school, he was hoping to go to college, to study construction, and we were waiting for his GCSE results.
“He was enjoying the summer, he loved our two dogs, Jasmine and Lola, and he went to the gym every day. He was a strong swimmer too.”
At around 2pm on July 16 2022, Kalen left the house to meet with his friends.
Vicky says: “He didn’t have swimming stuff and he didn’t mention any plans to swim. I think it was most probably a spontaneous decision.
“I gave him some money and I caught him sneaking out with my new water flask, so we had the usual banter over that. It was just a normal afternoon.”
Vicky was dyeing her hair when, at 6pm, she got a message to say Kalen was in trouble in the water at Ontario Basin in Salford Quays.
She says: “I thought there was a mistake. I rushed down there, and it was busy, and I was sure it was all a misunderstanding.
“But then I got round the corner, and I saw police and ambulances.
“I was told he’d gone under the water. I was frantic, screaming for him. A police officer took me home and I was told that a specialist team was needed to recover his body.
It feels to me like lessons are not being learned
Vicky Waugh
“I stared at my phone, all night, and I convinced myself it wasn’t true. If there was no body, perhaps he’d got out? I kept lying to myself.”
At 630am, Kalen’s body was recovered, and Vicky was taken to make the formal identification. He was later buried, along with Dawn and Sandra’s ashes.
Vicky says: “Every day without him is so hard. It is some comfort to me that he is with my mum and grandmother, and they will be looking after him.
“After his death, I found out he’d passed his GCSEs and he had his place at college. It is such a tragic waste of a young life.
“Kalen’s friends are heartbroken too; I’ve just had his headstone fitted and they often visit his grave. They call to see me too, and I appreciate that so much. I cling to any little reminders of him, and I find each day so hard.
“On Kalen’s 18th birthday in March, I wanted to take flowers to the spot where he’d died but I couldn’t bring myself to go near the water.
“I got on the tram but when my stop came, I couldn’t get off. I was terrified. I kept riding back and forth on the tram, trying to find the strength to get off and take the balloons.
“I only hope Kalen’s death will make other kids realise just how dangerous it is to swim in open water. But it feels to me like lessons are not being learned.”
An inquest into Kalen’s death, held in July last year, at Bolton Coroner’s Court, ruled he had drowned in a case of misadventure.