Sisters of Wigan borough man who tragically drowned say ‘it’s still unbelievable that he wasn’t found alive’

Haydn Griffiths, from Lowton, was just 23 when he died in July 2022 while going for a swim in the Irish Sea near Hoylake while on a first date.

He was a fitness enthusiast, a strong swimmer and a member of Leigh and Lowton Sailing Club since the age of six. He later held a power boat licence and worked on the safety and rescue boat for open water swimming.

Haydn was also selected to train on Great Britain’s national sailing squad and his name appears on a competition trophy along with Ben Ainslie.

Haydn’s sisters, Megan and Brogan, have now spoken to the RNLI's 200 Voices podcast about the loss of their younger brother.

Brogan said: "There wasn’t anyone that I know that would’ve been more confident, more prepared around the water… he went swimming, got into difficulty where he felt like he couldn’t swim any further."

At that point Haydn knew he was in trouble and he asked his friend to swim back to shore to raise the alarm and get help.

Megan said: "The emergency services were dispatched and the response from the RNLI, the coastguard, the fire service, the police was within minutes. It was unbelievable and they gave Haydn every possible chance of being found alive."

A volunteer lifeboat crew from the RNLI at Hoylake and New Brighton took part in the multi-agency search for Haydn.

Given Haydn’s physical fitness and experience in and around water, the news about his drowning was all the more unbelievable for his family. Since that day Haydn’s sisters Megan and Brogan have made it their mission to share vital water safety messages to prevent other families going through the same loss.

"Especially with him being so fit, so strong, so aware of the water it’s still unbelievable that he wasn’t found alive. And if this can happen to Haydn – with that water safety knowledge and that strength and athleticism – and the amazing response from the emergency services, RNLI and local community… if that can happen to Haydn, it really can happen to anybody."

Megan and Brogan took part in the RNLI’s Mayday Mile fundraiser in their brother’s memory, as well as sharing his story to help educate others on World Drowning Prevention Day.

RNLI water safety public affairs manager, Ross MacLeod, said: "Haydn’s tragic story shows the sea can be unpredictable, and tragedy can happen to anyone, even those with vast experience.

"Megan and Brogan's campaigning water safety work has been truly inspiring and we’re so grateful to them for helping share the RNLI’s lifesaving safety advice. The work they are doing will undoubtedly help prevent other families going through the same heartbreaking loss of losing a loved one."

The RNLI’s 200 Voices podcast is releasing a new episode every day for 200 days in the run-up to the charity’s bicentenary on March 4 2024, featuring stories from the charity’s history and through to the present day.