I lost my only son to a trendy swimming craze, it’s a death trap

AS summer finally warms up and children across the country are out of school, many are looking for ways to cool off.

While few of us are lucky enough to have access to our own swimming pool, wild swimming is becoming increasingly popular with Brits flocking to rivers, ponds and lakes to immerse themselves.

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While the sport is popular among Brits and the hashtag has been posted on Instagram almost 800,000 times, one mother is urging swimmers not to enter open water this summer.

Vicky Waugh lost her only child, Kalen, when he drowned at the age of 16 while swimming with friends.

Since then, the mother has not been allowed near water and was too upset to even take balloons to the place where he died on his birthday.

On the second anniversary of his death, she has called for lessons to be learned and urged other children to stay away from open water.

But as the death toll has already risen this year, she fears more lives will be lost.

Vicky, 34, from Salford, said: “I try not to read the news now because it saddens me to see another child drowning.

“Every time the sun comes out I panic. I think people dive into rivers and lakes.

“Children need to be educated about the dangers, but authorities can do much more: turn off water and put up signs.

“Open water must be well guarded 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 had access to any form of counselling or support and I feel completely isolated. I just don’t want other parents to suffer as I did.”

Kalen drowned after getting into trouble in Salford Quays in July 2022. His mother was devastated and had to wait overnight for his body to be recovered and his death confirmed.

A few weeks later she collected Kalen’s GCSE certificates, securing him his dream place at university to study engineering.

Vicky says: “Kalen was my only son, I was a single mother so we were inseparable. We did everything together.

“My recurring concern was how he would cope if anything ever happened to me. Not for a moment did I think he would be the first to die.

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“He wasn’t even planning on swimming that day, but he was a strong swimmer and a fit young man. If it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone.

There were reports that he had disappeared beneath the surface, but his body was not found until early the next morning.

“I spent the whole night convincing myself it wasn’t true, and hoping he would just come through the door.

“It was torture. Two years later my life is a blur. I miss him so much and I haven’t been in his bedroom. It’s exactly as he left it.

“I just hope that Kalen’s legacy is to educate other young people about the dangers of open water swimming.”

Vicky was only 15 when she became pregnant with Kalen and was supported by her mother, Dawn, and her grandmother, Sandra.

She says: “Kalen was a real go-getter; he was always on the go, always full of energy. He also had a very good heart.

“He took my grandmother to the movies to see Mamma Mia, 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 stay fit and you can also enjoy water activities.

Before going wild swimming, it is important to research the safety of the water.

There are many places where water activities or games are organized, taking many safety measures.

There are also several places where you can swim in nature, such as the Hampstead Ponds in London. There is a lifeguard present here. It is advisable to swim only at these places.

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 unnecessary risks. Choose places where you know you can swim safely. Never jump into unknown water.

Besides the fact that your body needs to get used to the temperature of the water, you should also pay attention to any currents.

If you throw a stick into the water you can see how fast the current is.

Also take note of any warnings issued by the authorities about the swimming area, such as warnings about wind, the cleanliness of the area and whether there is a risk of dangerous creatures or excessive vegetation such as weeds, reeds and algae.

Check for signs indicating that swimming is prohibited.

Do not dive or jump into water if you do not know how deep it is.

Make sure there is a clear entrance and exit and never swim alone.

Also make sure to stay close to the shore or coast.

Never swim in the sea where warning flags are displayed or where there are currents.

In 2018, Dawn passed away suddenly at the age of 48 and in 2020, Sandra passed away from cancer.

Vicky said: “Their deaths hit us both hard, but if anything, we were closer because of our grief. I was proud of the way Kalen handled it.

“After leaving school he hoped to go to university to study engineering, and we were waiting for his GCSE results.

“He enjoyed the summer, he loved our two dogs, Jasmine and Lola, and he went to the gym every day. He was also a good swimmer.”

On July 16, 2022 at approximately 2:00 PM, Kalen left the house to meet his friends.

Vicky says: “He didn’t have any swimming gear and he didn’t mention any plans to swim. I think it was probably a spur of the moment decision.

“I gave him some money and I caught him sneaking off with my new water bottle, so we had the usual jokes about it. It was just a normal afternoon.”

Vicky was dyeing her hair when she received a message at 6pm that Kalen was in trouble in the water of Ontario Basin in Salford Quays.

She says: “I thought there had been a mistake. I went there quickly, it was busy and I was sure it was all a misunderstanding.

“But when I came around the corner, I saw police and ambulances.

“I was told he had gone under the water. I was panicking and screaming for him. A police officer took me home and I was told a specialized team was needed to recover his body.

It feels to me like no lessons are being learned

Vicky Waugh

“I spent the whole night staring at my phone and convincing myself it wasn’t true. If there wasn’t a body, maybe he had gotten away? I kept lying to myself.”

At 6:30am Kalen’s body was recovered and Vicky was taken to make the formal identification. He was later buried, along with the ashes of Dawn and Sandra.

Vicky says: “Every day without him is so hard. It is a comfort to me that he is with my mother and grandmother, and they will look after him.

“After his death I discovered he had passed his GCSEs and had got his place at university. It’s such a tragic waste of a young life.

“Kalen’s friends are also grieving; I just had his headstone put up and they visit his grave often. They also visit me and I really appreciate that. I cling to all the little memories of him and I find every day so hard.

“On Kalen’s 18th birthday in March, I wanted to take flowers to the place where he 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 in the tram, trying to find the strength to get off and take the balloons with me.

“I just hope that Kalen’s death will make other kids realize how dangerous it is to swim in open water. But it feels to me like no lessons are being learned.”

An inquest into Kalen’s death, held by Bolton coroner in July last year, ruled that he had died by accident.

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