The mother of Joe Abbess has recalled the moment she found out her son had drowned as she raised awareness of water safety during drowning prevention week.

Joe, from Southampton, was just 17 when he and Sunnah Khan, 12, from Buckinghamshire, lost their lives after getting into difficulty in the water off Bournemouth Beach on May 31.

A little over a year on from Joe’s passing, his mum Vanessa has appeared on the Royal Life Saving Society’s (RLSS) YouTube channel – along with Stephanie Williams, Sunnah’s mum – speaking out about their experiences and the importance of raising awareness of water safety.

Vanessa said: “I used to think of the beach as a lovely place; sitting on the sand and listening to the waves lapping in was so relaxing. The sound of waves now sends shivers down my spine.”

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Remembering the moment she received a phone call to inform her Joe had passed away, she said: “I remember it so clearly.

“I was waiting for my husband to get home from work and the A&E doctor was passed the phone and he said: ‘There’s no need to hurry because it’s too late.’

“Not only do you lose them as a person, but you lose the future you should have had with them.”

Vanessa’s comments come during national drowning prevention week (June 15 to June 22), with the RLSS spearheading a campaign to raise awareness of water safety on social media and their website.

“There needs to be discussion about water safety as a whole,” said Vanessa.

“Joe and Sunnah did everything right, they were on a lifeguarded beach, they both could swim.

“They weren’t too deep – they were with people – I’d never heard of drowning in a rip current.”

She went on to say: “On RLSS UK’s website there’s downloadable resources for parents, so you can literally sit down with your kids before going out.”

“I hope from telling our story we can make people stop and think.”