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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think that we need more education about the sea?

234 replies

LyndaNotLinda · 21/08/2016 19:10

Six people dead in 24 hours around the British coast. Many more injured. Lots of RNLI staff risking their lives to save people who have taken insane risks.

I live on the coast and a number of people on our beaches get into serious trouble every summer and that isn't even with a storm thrown into the mix. Once you add that in, the risks to holidaymakers are enormous.

Do we need government warning to tell people that it isn't safe to go in or near the water in high winds? It just seems that people were taken totally unawares by the power of the sea :(

OP posts:
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Original poster
LyndaNotLinda · 21/08/2016 19:12

Sorry, my OP isn't clear - I'm not for a minute blaming the victims. I think they took risks because they didn't understand they were taking risks - not that they were reckless.

OP posts:
Original poster
LyndaNotLinda · 21/08/2016 19:13

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37148196

OP posts:
PotofGold1186 · 21/08/2016 19:15

I'm coastal too. I agree more needs to be said. Thankfully my dad worked with the sea and we were given very good advice from him growing up. Climbing on rocks or on the sea defences is something I would expect most people should know not to do but I see people doing it all the time. People just don't think it will happen to them. So so sad.

SoMuchToBits · 21/08/2016 19:19

The RNLI are running a 'Respect the water' campaign, to try to educate people about the dangers. As well as rescuing people, they try very hard to educate the public to avoid people getting into danger in the first place.

But of course, not everyone will take any notice, or see the notices/adverts/campaign.

listsandbudgets · 21/08/2016 19:26

Quite agree.

We've just returned from holiday in Devon. Until the last couple of days it was completely calm but the last two days were so stormy I would not let the children go on the beach let alone in the water.

We did go and stand on the road above the beach and I saw children and even a toddler in the water. Given the way the waves were leaving spray the went up to the top of the cliffs, the harbour wall was covered and HUGE waves were rolling in, I was really shocked.

My half brother is a surf life guard for RNLU and he could tell you some real horror stories. He's pulled children out of the water AFTER advising parents not to let them go in because it's not safe. A few days ago he had to go in after a 4 year old who got sucked under and rolled about by massive waves.. The warning flags were up it was obviously stormy but her parents said they thought a paddle would be ok. Little girl ok but he got a whack on the head.

PLEASE if the warning flags are up don't risk it

Rumpelstiltskin143 · 21/08/2016 19:27

Actually I do blame the victims. Just straightforward common sense that you don't mess around in the sea with waves like that, and you certainly don't put your kids in danger.

bigbluebus · 21/08/2016 19:27

I was brought up in a coastal resort and I can't remember a single person dying in the way that these people were taken this weekend - maybe I just have a short memory. I now live in a landlocked county and know a number of people who have been rescued by lifeboats at the coast and also know of cases of local people who have died in sea related incidents - including abroad.

Having said that I was not familiar with the dangers of rip tides until recently - which have often got people into trouble - so may be there does need to be greater education. I can't imagine though why people would not think that waves in strong winds would not be dangerous .

I was recently in Barmouth (where sadly 2 teenagers disappeared and turned up dead a few days later). The tide was out when I was there and the strength of the current in the channel was incredible - even the strongest swimmer would struggle with that.

So yes we do need to educate people about the sea - we live on an island FGS.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 19:28

I live in Cornwall that's all I'm posting because I know a lifeboat volunteer

Floods123 · 21/08/2016 19:30

Also coastal. Have rowed and sailed in heavy seas (safely). I have learned by having the experience. Quite simply inland people see a nice cosy picture postcard playground. Have no idea that it can charge to a maelstrom in minutes. Yes need education to respect the sea. I see tourists every year in trouble. Needs to happen.

Witchend · 21/08/2016 19:31

But there are deaths every year where people have gone in despite red flags showing it's unsafe. I'm not sure what more you can do when people ignore that.

In at least some of the cases this weekend the RNLI are saying that the tide surged unexpectedly high, which is really hard to stop people ending up in the wrong places.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 19:32

My friend has PTSD from bringing a body back to shore

MrsMargeSimpson · 21/08/2016 19:32

We really don't, we just need people so have some fucking common sense.

Mrscog · 21/08/2016 19:36

YANBU - people should watch this video - it should be shown in schools etc.

*note - it's terrifying but they all survive.

People need a respect of open water.

IAmAPaleontologist · 21/08/2016 19:40

I think a lot of people think things like rip tides are am Australian phenomenon and not something we get here. My mother is French and i grew up spending holidays on the Atlantic coast and as such a very healthy respect for the ocean. I knew the beach well, i knew where sandbanks formed, i could read it well. I would swim further out and do things there that i would never do at other beaches that i didn't know. I was there last week and the current was very strong, one day the sea was dangerous and the lifeguards being very strict but you still got some twerps thinking they knew better, we sat and watched a woman in a bikini and a body board go off and try to join the surfers far out. She got an absolute roasting from the lifeguards.

Swim safe is a great scheme, ds1 did it this year. Totally free and they teach kids life saving info. This year was the first year any of my kids could swim well enough to go in properly and it really helped him have confidence and be safe in the way he approached the ocean.

PortiaCastis · 21/08/2016 19:43

..

AIBU to think that we need more education about the sea?
Palomb · 21/08/2016 19:44

People just need some common sense.

AgentProvocateur · 21/08/2016 19:46

Agree that it's not a lack of education, but a lack of common sense.

EsmesBees · 21/08/2016 19:48

That is scary Mrscog. And really odd that one of the party just kept filming as it kept getting scarier.

Notfastjustfurious · 21/08/2016 19:48

I actually live near where one of these awful incidents took place, and was at the beach yesterday. The sea did look very rough and we decided on the playpark instead but never would I have thought that could have happened. There is no real education on the dangers and no lifeguards here even on the busiest days. I guess it's more surprising it hasn't happened here before.

megletthesecond · 21/08/2016 19:50

Yanbu. I'm a lp and my mum got huffy with me when I said I didn't want to take my dc's in the sea on my own Hmm. I won't go in without a 1:1 adult child ratio and even then only when the sea is safe.

We've got the RNLI beach safe pack which I think has helped the dc's realise the sea isn't to be mucked about with.

Sirzy · 21/08/2016 19:51

I think I am over cautious about these things but it does seem sometimes people are lacking in commons sense when they are near the water, especially in stormy conditions.

Gmbk · 21/08/2016 19:54

The RNLI are running a huge campaign in Cornwall to respect the water (and possibly throughout the UK). The problem is people who think they know what they are doing and have no idea how dangerous the water is. Locals don't mess around near the water, tourists do.

I witnessed 8 small children all under 5 playing near the steps on a town Quay as the tide lapped over the sea wall. Not a parent within sight let alone touching distance.

If these deaths do anything, I hope they raise awareness of the danger of the sea.

FeedMeAndTellMeImPretty · 21/08/2016 19:54

I've been on two overseas holidays recently (boast!) and I couldn't believe both times how many people completely disregarded the red flags up on the beach and went in anyway. DP and I went in a couple of times on a yellow flag day and I still got dragged under a big wave once. Luckily my DCs don't like the beach and preferred the pool to the sea, but plenty of small children were to be seen paddling with really big waves and a red flag on show. Shocking.

magimedi · 21/08/2016 19:57

It never ceases to amaze me how little respect people have for the sea.

It's not a game.................