"Anyone can drown but no one should"

Available for over a year

Following the tragic loss of her 17-year-old son, Joe Abbess, who drowned at Bournemouth beach in 2023, his mum, Vanessa Abbess has dedicated herself to raising awareness of water safety and drowning prevention. Joe died alongside 12-year-old Sunnah Khan after getting caught up in a sudden rip tide. Driven by the pain of losing her son, Vanessa now uses her voice and experience to educate others about the risks of open water and the importance of knowing how to respond in an emergency. She is helping to promote the 'Float To Live' campaign which is part of World Drowning Prevention Day. Vanessa wants to ensure that other families do not have to endure the devastating loss that hers has experienced. As she says, "anyone can drown, but no one should."