"Nobody can prepare you for losing somebody to the water."

Chris Jordan from Tameside has been working in our NHS 111 service as a health advisor for seven months, with aspirations of becoming a paramedic – something he has always wanted to do.

Chris’ drive to become a paramedic and to help save people’s lives became more important to him after he tragically lost his nephew, Jack, to drowning in 2016. He was just 16 years old.

Sadly, in the UK alone, 700 families lose somebody each year to drowning.

Jack was the eldest brother of twelve and loved his family more than anything and would do anything in the world for his siblings. He was a cheeky chappy, a very caring and sensitive young man, described by his former headteacher as ’a popular student whose gentle soul touched many people.’

Chris said: “The water might look inviting, but beneath the surface it is so much colder and the current is stronger than people think, nobody knows what lies beneath. The water doesn’t discriminate; you could be the strongest swimmer in the world, but it can be vicious, change in an instant and take you away with it like it took our Jack from us.

“If you lose somebody to an illness, you can perhaps prepare for that somewhat but nobody can prepare you to hear the news that you have lost somebody to drowning.”

“The pain is indescribable; the hole it leaves will never ever be filled. I would like people to take that pain from us and use it as a wake-up call to know the real dangers of water and become educated in water safety. Having this knowledge is key to saving lives.”

Jack’s family has set up the Jack Pullen Foundation in memory of Jack and as a legacy to him. The charity offers water safety education through social media and also to local schools and communities.

Chris is working with his family through the foundation towards providing bereavement counselling for those families and friends who have lost somebody specifically to a water-related incident.

Furthermore, they are campaigning to install personal rescue equipment (PRE) throughout the UK’s 2,200 mile stretch of waterways; especially inland waterways.

Chris continued: “We share the tragic experience of all families who have lost somebody to the water in the UK. We are determined to reduce the number of drownings in open water and we are working to stamp it out.”

WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN TROUBLE IN COLD, OPEN WATER?

The best thing is to avoid open water and putting yourself at risk. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s campaign Float to Live gives great advice:

F - FIGHT your instinct to panic or swim hard L - LEAN back in the water to keep airway clear O - OPEN your body up pushing your stomach up A - ACTIONS - gently move hands and feet to keep afloat T - TIME - in 60-90 seconds, you’ll be able to adjust and control your breathing.

For bystanders, the Jack Pullen Foundation suggests you: W - WATCH the person in the water, keep your eye on their location A - ASK someone to call 999 T - THROW a life ring PRE or floatation device E - ENCOURAGE the casualty to float and gently move their legs and hands to stay afloat R - RESIST entering the water yourself as you may get into danger too.

For more information visit: www.jackpullenfoundation.org.uk.