Fire service highlights dangers of open water in powerful new film

18/06/2026

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare, a phone call to say their child is missing in water.

The last month or so has brought this into sharp focus, with more than a dozen tragic incidents around the country, many involving young people entering open water and not resurfacing. In April 2025, 16-year-old Cambridgeshire boy Jack Lloyd sadly did just that.

Jack was with friends at Crown Lakes near Peterborough, but tragically struggled in the water after jumping in. His body went into cold water shock as soon as he hit the water.

He went under the water and devastatingly, didn't resurface.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is highlighting the many dangers for young people entering open water in a powerful new short film being released during Drowning Prevention Week. It was premiered at a special screening event held at the ODEON Luxe Peterborough.

The film, made in partnership with Peterborough City Council, tells Jacks’ story, with his father Darren giving a heartbreaking account of the impact the incident has had on him and his family. Fire and police officers also talk about the impact of these incidents, as well as giving advice about what to do to stay safe around open water.

Group Commander James Ball, the Service’s Head of Community Fire Safety, said: “We have seen over the last few months, as well as in recent years, that more and more young people are making that decision to enter open water. All too often this leads to tragedy, as we have seen during the making of this film.

“The half term week at the end of May saw more than a dozen people lose their lives in water, most being between the ages of 11 and 17. Last year in Cambridgeshire, we saw nine water related fatalities.

“We are immensely grateful to Darren and his family for sharing Jack’s story and their experience with us. They do so in the hope that other young people will think twice about jumping into open water and lives will be saved.”

Fire crews respond to an average of between 30 and 40 water related incidents every year, many of which involve young people getting into difficulty. This is despite visiting schools around the county to try and educate students on the dangers of open water.

James continued: “The film will be used to try and reach young people by showing the potential tragic consequences of jumping into open water, as well as giving advice about what to do if they see someone in trouble. We will also be encouraging schools to screen the film in the lead up to the summer holidays.”

Darren, Jack's dad, added: "Watching the film was extremely emotional for us. Since losing Jack every day has been a struggle and hearing that there are more and more families experiencing what we are is really heartbreaking.

"By being involved in this film we want to encourage people to speak to their children about the dangers of water and cold water shock. We’re in touch with school to try and educate more young people, but we really hope that this film will help support that."

Cold Water Shock – When Fun Turns Fatal is available in the Community Safety section and on our YouTube channel as a free educational resource for anyone to access.