Teen Who Didn’t Know How To Swim Jumps Into Reservoir To Save Friend, Dies

A 16-year-old boy in the U.K. died Friday afternoon after he jumped into a reservoir to save his friend despite not knowing how to swim.

Sam Haycock headed to the area near the Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham, Yorkshire with a group of pals after the teen’s last day at secondary school. One of his friends began struggling with water currents after they got into the water and Haycock didn’t think twice to jump into the reservoir to save him, Yorkshire Live reported.

"There were three boys including Sam who jumped in and tried to save his friend. It is typical of him, he and his mum would do anything for anyone who needed help," Theresa Glenn, a family friend of the Haycock’s, told the outlet.

"It was his last day at Oakwood High School and they told each other: 'I love you' as he left their home in East Dene. It was completely out of character for him as he's a 16-year-old boy!" Glenn added.

A third boy alerted the emergency services but crews failed to save Haycock’s life. Police launched a search operation for the youngster and locals were urged to avoid the area as lifeboat teams joined the search efforts, according to Yorkshire Live.

South Yorkshire Police's underwater search team recovered Haycock’s body from the reservoir later that night, cops said in a tweet.

Glenn told Yorkshire Live that Sam’s parents, Simon and Gaynor Haycock, 55, were distraught but Gaynor, his mother, was proud that his son risked his life to save someone.

"Obviously they are absolutely distraught about what has happened but Gaynor is proud of what he tried to do and will treasure that detail for the rest of her life," Glenn told Yorkshire Live. "Sam was like his mum. He would not have thought of the danger. He just saw his friend struggling and tried to help."

In February, a 10-year-old Tennessee boy died after he jumped into a frozen pond to save his younger sister who fell into a pond outside their house. Benjamin Luckett was playing with his two siblings when his 6-year-old sister Abigail Luckett lost her footing and fell into the pond, prompting Benjamin to jump in to save her. Their parents managed to pull Abigail out from the water but Benjamin wasn’t found. The boy was later retrieved from the water by firefighters who rushed him to a hospital. The kid was pronounced dead at the hospital.