Mother Campaigns for Water Safety After Son's Reservoir Drowning
Maxine Johnson, mother of Reuben Morgan, who tragically drowned at the age of 15, now advocates for increased awareness of water safety. Reuben died on 17 June 2006 after encountering difficulties while swimming with friends at Pontsticill Reservoir near Merthyr Tydfil during hot weather.
With Wales and the UK currently experiencing a record heatwave, Johnson urges parents to educate their children about the dangers of swimming in open water, particularly the risk of cold water shock.
If that can happen to him, it can happen to anybody.
Johnson actively raises awareness about water safety in schools and community groups to prevent similar tragedies.
According to the National Water Safety Forum, there were 202 accidental water-related deaths across the UK in 2025, with 85% of victims being male. However, the actual number might be higher due to unrecorded or inconclusive cases.
Johnson recounted that Reuben had been camping with friends when they decided to swim across the reservoir. He suffered cold water shock when nearly halfway across.
Reuben's friends, especially one, tried their best to assist him.
He told his friend to just go, basically because [Reuben] was dragging him down.
The boys reached the shore and then realized Reuben had disappeared.
A large search operation was launched, but it took three days for specialist teams to recover his body.
Reuben was "super fit" when he drowned, his mum said.
Johnson explained that the boys were in shock and could not precisely indicate Reuben's location in the reservoir, which is very deep and murky.
That made it quite difficult because that reservoir is very deep and very murky.
At the time, neither the family nor Reuben's friends understood the dangers of cold water shock.
None of us would have known about cold water shock.
Public Health Wales Issues Water Safety Advice Amid Heatwave
In light of the current hot weather, Public Health Wales has advised the public to follow water safety guidelines, including not swimming alone, avoiding jumping into open water, supervising children, choosing lifeguarded locations, avoiding alcohol, and following the "Float to Live" advice.
Johnson noted that there was no phone signal at the location, so emergency services arrived too late to assist.
She emphasized that many people mistakenly believe water is warm during hot weather.
In the UK the waters take quite a long time to warm up.
She added that the diving team informed her the reservoir water was very cold on that day.
Nearly Two Decades of Advocacy for Water Safety
For almost 20 years, Johnson has campaigned to raise awareness about the dangers of swimming in reservoirs, rivers, and lakes, speaking to schools and community groups.
She expressed concern over recent drowning reports across the UK.
It's really terrifying because there have been so many deaths across the UK and I would anticipate we're going to see more with the hot weather.
Johnson stressed the importance of parents understanding and discussing these risks with their children.
I think a lot of parents don't realise the danger is still there.
She noted that many young people enter the water with parental permission, often unaware of the risks.
They don't realise. They just think they're going to have some fun getting in the water.
Reuben was 15 when he died. Johnson described him as "super fit," a rugby player who loved the gym and had many friends.
She highlighted that his fitness level makes his death a powerful example of how cold water shock can affect anyone.
People think if you're a good swimmer it doesn't make any difference, but if you don't know how to counteract the panic, cold water shock can affect anybody.
It's heartbreaking for me and the family when we know that children and young people are still going out there into open water.
That's why I feel so passionate.
I don't want other families to experience what we've experienced.
What is Cold Water Shock?
Cold water shock is the body's involuntary reaction to sudden immersion in cold water. According to Welsh Water, it can affect anyone regardless of age, fitness, or swimming ability.
The immediate effects include loss of control of arms and legs.
Reservoirs can remain dangerously cold even during hot weather because deeper water temperatures rise much more slowly than air temperatures.
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