The family of 2022 drowning victim Sean Bickings is hosting a memorial Wednesday at Tempe Town Lake to raise awareness of the drowning tragedies that have taken place in the distant and recent past.

The goal of the memorial is to not only honor Bickings and his family, but to hold the Tempe police accountable. The Bickings family wants to ensure that police are implementing safety standards and taking appropriate measures to protect citizens and limit the drownings that continue to occur today, according to a release.

The memorial will be at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at Tempe Town Lake near the Tempe Center of the Arts where Bickings drowned.

In May 2022, Tempe police were called to a water rescue around one minute after Bickings got into the water. According to the city of Tempe transcript, one officer said, “I’m not jumping in after you.” Bickings' friend, Benjamin Jeffrey, recalls Bickings’ last words were “help me, please!” Bickings drowned shortly after while officers stood by and taunted him, the release states.