Laura Hamilton, presenter of the Channel 4 property show *A Place in the Sun*, has publicly supported the Save Lives for Sam water safety campaign following a recent tragic incident she witnessed on a beach in southern France. The campaign aims to reduce the number of child drownings in England, a cause that Hamilton described as “a matter of life and death.”
Hamilton, 44, was filming in Montpellier earlier this month when emergency services responded to a drowning. She recounted arriving at the beach to see a helicopter, ambulance, and rescue efforts underway. A young man, later identified as a 19-year-old, was being resuscitated but died at the scene. Hamilton said the experience had a profound impact on her. “I didn’t sleep very well that night because I just kept playing over and over what I’d seen,” she said. The presenter, a mother of two from Surrey, emphasized the need to raise awareness of water safety following the incident and acknowledged the dangers posed by strong undercurrents in that specific area.
According to campaign figures, 33 children drown annually in England, a toll described by advocates as a national emergency. During a heatwave in May, 19 adults and children lost their lives in water-related accidents in a single week. The Save Lives for Sam campaign was founded by Simon Haycock, whose 16-year-old son, Sam, drowned in 2021 at Ulley Reservoir in South Yorkshire. Haycock has called for urgent changes to improve water safety and prevent further tragedies.
Hamilton highlighted her personal commitment to swimming education, recalling that swimming lessons were a fundamental part of her children’s upbringing from a young age. She stressed that swimming skills are essential not only for children but also for adults, especially given the risks presented by open water environments. Drawing on her media experience, Hamilton has previously demonstrated open water swimming and life-saving techniques on programs such as *Loose Women* and *This Morning*.
She also addressed the importance of equitable safety measures in public swimming and beach settings, noting the example of families being prioritized for poolside seating to better supervise children. Following the beach incident in France, Hamilton spoke with her own children about how to recognize and react to water hazards such as rip currents, underscoring the balance between promoting enjoyment of water activities and ensuring safety awareness.
The Save Lives for Sam campaign receives support from bereaved families and organizations including the Royal Life Saving Society and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. Hamilton urged for accessible public education on water risks and advocated for broad awareness programs. “For every statistic, there’s an individual and a family that’s been changed forever,” she said. “We need information that’s accessible to everybody, better understanding of the risks around water, and a programme of education.”