Shropshire officer's water safety bid after saving son
Family photoA policeman who "lives with the horror" of his six-year-old son nearly drowning is backing a water safety campaign.
Mark Hobden said Reuben was knocked off an airbed and fell to the bottom of a pool during "five to 10 seconds" he and his wife took their eyes off him.
Mr Hobden, of West Mercia Police, used his skills to give his son mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while others used compressions to revive him.
The officer is teaching life-saving skills during Drowning Prevention Week.
Children from schools in Shropshire are among those being taught by Mr Hobden during the campaign, which runs until 25 June.
Mr Hobden said the incident at a hotel pool on holiday in Portugal last August was a huge shock.
"We continue to live with the horror of what happened and what might have been, if it wasn't for knowing basic life-saving skills," he said.
He said he wanted the story to be a "warning" to other parents to teach their children about water safety.
"Thankfully we were lucky," he said.
Reuben, who can now swim, was taken to hospital to be checked out and found to be healthy, said UK's drowning prevention charity, Royal Life Saving Society UK.
The charity said about 2,100 people a year in England are taken to Accident and Emergency departments every year after non-fatal drowning incidents.
Charity head Di Steer said: "We estimate that for every drowning death that occurs, there are more than 10 near drownings, with many of these leading to life-changing injuries."
"These incidents are hugely disturbing for families, friends and witnesses and even without physical repercussions, they can often leave deep psychological scars."
The charity advises swimming at places with lifeguards, learning life-saving skills and considering factors such as water temperature, sudden changes in depth or hidden debris.
