Sam’s Law is named after Sam Haycock, a 16‑year‑old who drowned at Ulley Reservoir in South Yorkshire in May 2021.  

During the incident, Sam’s friends attempted to rescue him but could not access life‑saving equipment quickly because it was locked and required a code from emergency services, causing critical delays.  

Following his death, Sam’s father became a campaigner for better water safety, arguing that such tragedies are often preventable with proper equipment and awareness.  

‘Sam’s Law’, under its formal legislative title the ‘Water Safety Bill’, was introduced in the House of Commons by Lee Pitcher MP under the Ten-Minute Rule procedure in 2025. 

The Water Safety Bill (aka Sam’s Law) aims to reduce drowning deaths in open water by improving safety infrastructure, strengthening legal protections, and expanding water safety education.  

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What does the Water Safety Bill aim to achieve? 

The Water Safety Bill (aka Sam’s Law) aims to achieve the following: 

• Improve the installation, maintenance, and accessibility of water safety equipment near reservoirs. 
• Create new criminal offences related to damaging life‑saving equipment. 
• Promote water safety education in schools. 

Follow the Water Safety Bill’s progress at: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/3933  

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Why is Water Safety Education and Equipment Important? 

Drowning costs the UK economy an average of: £1.6 billion every year¹

3,615 people have drowned over the last 5 years²

54% of accidental drownings occurred during recreational activity³

Since 1891, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), a national water safety education charity, have been committed to preventing drowning and supporting everyone to enjoy water safely. It is dedicated to saving lives by leading in lifesaving, lifeguarding and water safety education, and aspires to have communities free from drowning.  

With your support, we can achieve this. 

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Sources: 
¹ Department for Transport. 2025. ‘Value of Prevented Fatality’. 
² National Water Safety Forum. 2020-2024. Water Incident Database (WAID) and Water Safety Ireland. 2020-2024. Statistics. 
³ National Water Safety Forum. 2020-2024. Water Incident Database (WAID).  

 

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Learn more about water safety and RLSS UK's charity activities: