'My son tried to call me - I rang him back and he was no longer alive'

Standing in the queue at the post office, Leeane realised she had a missed call from her son. She tried to call him back but it was sadly too late.

Mark Allen was just 18 when he went swimming with his friends at the Gorton reservoir, enjoying the summer sun. But, dangers were lurking beneath the water and his body succumbed to the freezing temperatures

Today, Leeanne Bartley is tirelessly campaigning alongside Water Safety Wales for others to stay safe around the sea, rivers and other open water after statistics showed a rise in accidental drowning deaths involving people aged under 20 for a second year running.

READ MORE: The 'typical' thing inspiring teacher Kate Rackham did amid her tragic death

Seven people under 20 died in accidental water-related fatalities in Wales in 2023 – the highest number since comparable data became available from the National Water Safety Forum’s Water Incident Database (WAID) in 2015.

Since her son's death, she has campaigned for better water safety measures in Wales and across the UK, including the petitions calling for rescue equipment to be mandatory, WalesOnline reports.

Recounting the worst day of her life, she said: "I got a phone call to basically say he was missing. And that was it.

"I didn't have a clue what was going on. And I said - missing, like, how, as nobody knew what had happened. It wasn't until some time after that when I spoke to Mark's dad, and a police officer came on the phone and that's how I found out. We just all got into the car and headed up to Manchester.

"We had originally arranged for Mark to come down later on that week, as his accident happened on the Tuesday, and he was supposed to be coming down to stay at ours for a few days on the Friday so it changed quickly."

Leeanne also found out later down the line that her son had attempted to call her moments before he died - with neither of them knowing it would have been the last time. She said: "I was stood in the post office queue and had seen he had called, and tried to ring him back.

"But at that point I had no clue what was going on, because this was before he went missing - and it turned out that when I looked at the time, he'd called me at ten past four - which was the same time he jumped in and I had no idea when I was ringing him back that he was no longer alive."

Mark, who was studying performing arts at a sixth form in Manchester, was described as a "talented actor" by his mum, and he had just started to pick up jobs in the field. Leeanne said: "I've got no doubt that he would have gone on and moved on to bigger roles as time went on. He was exceptionally talented - and he got a distinction in his performing arts - we received that after."

After Mark died by drowning, Leanne became determined to keep a promise she made as she saw her son's body that she would do all she could to stop anyone else suffering from a loss of life in the same way, believing that is what he would have wanted. She said: "He was always trying to get people to feel better. By me carrying on in this way it’s a positive legacy for him. We are trying to get a law passed that places throwline stations around all bodies of open water in Wales. It’s hard but I do not give up.

Describing her son, Leeanne said: "He was just like, the laugh a minute. When he was younger, he'd talk to oak trees and was big on wildlife and would lift everyone up - he was such a character. He was so funny.

"He loved Paris. He was special child of merit in his year five of Primary school and was a super protective big brother, and protective of all his siblings, was always smiling and loved cake.

"When he got to accomplish his dream of going up the Eiffel Tower in April 2018 shortly before we lost him, he rang me from the top - and I hate heights - and he made me promise him that from the top, saying 'next time you go to Paris Mum, you must go up the Eiffel tower, promise me.' So I did that last year with my daughter, Lauren."

Her petition to the Senedd got 11,000 signatures and led to a report by the petitions committee. Statistics show around 50 people a year lose their lives to water-related fatalities in Wales every year and during the seven months the Committee was investigating the issue, at least three young people died from drowning in Wales.

Leeanne, who has six children including Mark, said: "We never want anyone to stop doing something that they enjoy. We don't want people to stop enjoying water - but we want them to just take some time to be aware of the potential dangers.

"We had no idea where Mark was, and now I do say to my children - let me know where you are and where you're going, and it is that, that can make all the difference. Because swimming in a swimming pool with people there is completely different to swimming in open water because the the temperature of the water is exceptionally cold, and you also have hidden dangers in the water like shopping trolleys and discarded debris you can get tangled up in as well as currents and whirlpools."

Describing what life is like now, Leeanne said: "Everything has completely changed. The impact of losing Mark has had - it's not something you ever get over, the loss of a child. You are just trying to get through as best you can, and it's affected every single one of us in the family and his friends."

Since losing Mark, Leeanne has had to get involved with public speaking in order to raise awareness for the dangers of drowning, and the impact it can have on young people. But she has found this process to be cathartic and allowed her to open up about her grief, and losing her son at such a young age.

She added: "There was an event hosted by Water Safety Wales in Cardiff Bay on the 8th of May in the pierhead building and I gave a speech. I was so grateful to be able to speak at that event because it really did help me say my piece on it. I've never spoken to so many people and I just feel privileged to be Mark's mum. He's making history. His legacy will live on long after we've gone. He is an amazing person."

The committee's report has now been published and found drowning prevention measures are hindered by a lack of coordination from the Welsh Government. The issue of water safety does not fall under one specific minister’s responsibility and straddles various Government departments.

Measures to increase awareness of the dangers posed by water and to improve water safety – including allocating a specific minister to lead this work are among the recommendations. That would help choose one consistent educational message across all of Wales – which experts say is crucial for preventing drowning deaths.

"Clear leadership and coordination from Welsh Government, these campaigns can reach even more people and ultimately, prevent deaths. We must do better as a country, and I hope this report will give a boost to all those working hard to do so," said head of the petitions committee Jack Sargeant.

Chris Cousens, Chair of Water Safety Wales said: "The rate of accidental drowning per head of population here in Wales is around double that of the UK as a whole. The number of accidental drowning deaths, sadly, is also higher than the number of deaths in fires, for example, motorcycle accidents and cycling—three other very high-profile causes of accidental deaths."

Water Safety Wales brings together individuals and organisations with an interest in water safety and drowning prevention. It worked with the Welsh Government to develop the Wales Drowning Prevention Strategy 2020-2026, with the aim to reduce the number of water-related deaths in Wales reduced to zero. However, it was noted in the inquiry that this partnership with the Welsh Government needs to be formalised and funding arrangements secured to enable Water Safety Wales to deliver this important work.

The committee heard about the challenges of installing, maintaining and using throw lines effectively and recognised that they are one of a range of safety measures to consider to mitigate the risks identified in water, and can in some circumstances give a false sense of security.

Ms Bartley said: "The report is even more than we could have asked for when we started the petition – I’m so thankful to the Senedd for hearing our story and listening to us and the other families that have been affected by drowning deaths but there is still work to be done and I will carry on campaigning – I hope Welsh Government takes these recommendations on board and continues to work with us on water safety."