Mum's 15-year 'living nightmare' since son's open water death

"I never thought I'd be living this nightmare," said the mother of a boy who drowned after swimming in a quarry lake 15 years ago.

Dylan Ramsay, 13, was swimming at Hill Top Quarry in Whittle-le-Woods, near Chorley, when he suffered cold water shock in 2011.

On the anniversary of his death, his mum, Beckie Ramsay, said his story was "a reminder that tragedy can happen in seconds".

She said he was a strong swimmer but she lived with the daily regret she did not teach him about water safety and - despite her grief - she has devoted her life to "educate as many people as possible" about the dangers of open water swimming to prevent others enduring the devastating heartache she has.

She founded the Doing it for Dylan campaign in her son's memory and she has made incredible strides in teaching people vital water skills.

The 46-year-old said she had "easily" spoken to more than 500,000 children and youngsters in talks at schools, colleges, universities and clubs.

She also advises councils and landowners on open water risks and has become a rock to countless grieving families who have suffered the same heartbreaking fate as her own.

One of her proudest achievements is getting water safety on the national school curriculum after a 12-year battle.

Ramsay explained how Dylan went for what he thought would be an innocent swim but it "changed our lives forever".

She said: "Please don't think that it was Dylan's swimming ability that let him down.

"He was actually a really good swimmer and very fit and healthy."

She said preventing any more families "joining the club no-one wants to be in" is what has led her to dedicate her life to raising awareness of water safety.

"I didn't teach Dylan about water safety and the truth is I just didn't know about it," she said.

"I live with that regret daily. I've made it my life's mission to make sure as many people as possible are educated about the dangers in and around open water."

Ramsay urged people to talk to their loved ones about the deadly risks and to make safe choices around water.

"Twenty minutes of fun in the sun is not worth your family's lifetime of pain," she said.

"I can't change what happened to my son, but together we can prevent it happening to someone else's child."

She begged children and teenagers to think before they enter the water.

"Wear a life jacket, respect the risks, and do it for Dylan," she said.

Recent heatwaves in the UK in May and June have led to more than 15 young people dying in open water across the country.

Ramsay said her aim when she set out campaigning was to get water safety on the school curriculum.

In September, it will finally be taught in schools.

However, she said her work was not yet done.

"My job's far from over. There's still loads of work to do," she said.

"We need to make sure it is concise, clear and everyone gets the same message."

When asked what she thought Dylan would make of her campaign work and his legacy, she said: "I think he would be very proud."

A "massive moment" for the Doing it for Dylan campaign was being mentioned at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in Australia, Ramsay said.

She said former Olympic swimmer Baroness Sharron Davies and GB Paralympic, World and European Champion Stephanie Millward were supporters of the campaign.

Ramsay has been awarded several accolades in recognition of her work including an Arch Angel Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, Safety Educator of the Year from the Swimming Teachers Association and a British Empire Medal in 2019.

She said while she was "so incredibly proud" of the recognition, she would give up all the awards "for just one hour more with Dylan".

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