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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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scaryteacher · 22/08/2016 10:38

As I said on the other thread about this, whilst I am sorry that the man died at Newquay, there had been weather warnings since last Wednesday. Even though I live in Brussels, home is Cornwall, and I get the Met Office updates by email for the SW, from which it was evident that near the sea wasn't a good place to be. I also watch the SW news, and the BBC weather reports, and they had been saying it wasn't safe.

You can try to educate people, but they don't listen.

I also wanted to reiterate the thanks for those who are life guards, RNLI volunteers, and all those who put themselves at risk on land or sea to rescue others.

JacquesHammer · 22/08/2016 11:37

My DD's school do a great event whereby the class going on residential (Year 4) plan an event to raise money for the RNLI. They then visit the RNLI museum whilst on the residential to hand over the funds raised and to learn about what the RNLI do and how to stay safe on the coast. I think that's a brilliant idea.

It does shock me the amount of people who seemingly give no regard to the safety of the RNLI, coastguard and volunteers by doing whatever they want in the sea in the knowledge that if it does go wrong, someone will rescue them.

The people who carry out dangerous rescues are absolutely fantastic and should be thanked massively for their efforts and the danger they put themselves in daily.

Rhinosaurus · 22/08/2016 12:06

I think we can safely say these are idiots....
m.westbriton.co.uk/warning-issues-after-swimmers-spotted-off-pendennis-point-falmouth-in-the-dark-during-bad-weather/story-29642616-detail/story.html?%3F%3F

I have been walking along Fistra Beach and the sea is feet away, then next thing I've known it's up to my knees with a current nearly taking me off my feet, and you still see the very little kids playing running away from the waves.... Maybe the parents are not idiots, but certainly lack common sense.
At the weekend, you wouldn't need to be well versed in the sea, just have eyes in your head to realise you should keep your distance.

PortiaCastis · 22/08/2016 12:31

In the little video on my link ^ I second the blonde girls words
" The most rewarding thing is taking a child back to it's Mum

I have seen the opposite.

miniplaty · 22/08/2016 12:46

I grew up by the sea and I am a very confident swimmer but I have huge respect for it, especially when it's a new beach/country. I drill into my kids how dangerous it can be and continuously talk about what to do/what to not do etc. I think schools should cover this topic in their PSHE lessons

PortiaCastis · 22/08/2016 12:58

This is about rip currents
rnli.org/safety/respect-the-water/Pages/Risk-factors.aspx

specialsubject · 22/08/2016 13:00

someone mentioned a Kaiser chiefs gig on a beach and the tide came in. Did the organisers not realise that this would happen???/

NEVER go into water after a dog. If you are a parent, prioritise your kids who need you. 'daddy drowned rescuing the dog' - don't leave them with that as your epitaph. If you aren't a parent, still don't do it because it is BLOODY STUPID.

the dog will probably be fine - and if not, it is only a dog.

AllegraAlmond · 22/08/2016 13:07

Sorry but I think people should take more responsibility for themselves and use their common sense. Quite frankly if you need the government to tell you the big vast ocean is dangerous then you shouldn't be going near it.

specialsubject · 22/08/2016 13:14

You said what i didnt dare...

Piniatapearl · 22/08/2016 13:16

I don't think it's as simple as knowing the big vast ocean is dangerous. Most of us know that but may not realise how quickly the tide etc can change.

In many cases things could have been different if common sense had been applied but there are cases where people just get caught out.

crapfatbanana · 22/08/2016 13:17

I think it should be fairly obvious what the risks are on a stormy day, but I don't think a lot of people understand the risks on a calm day. Even on the calmest days I never feel completely relaxed by the sea - or by lakes or rivers. I live in Cornwall and spend a lot of time at the beach. I have a healthy fear of the sea I think. We always check the safety notices and follow coast guards' and life guards' warnings. I am always on the alert for rip tides and currents and never take my eyes off my children when they are near water.

The recent loss of lives are a terrible tragedy, but I don't understand how anyone cannot know that the coast is highly dangerous in bad weather. Clearly there needs to be more education and warnings though, as six deaths in 24 hours is very worrying.

BarbarianMum · 22/08/2016 13:25

It really isn't. Because, quite often, it is the changability of the ocean that creates the danger. What was safe at 2pm isn't necessarily safe at 3pm, what was safe on Tuesday isn't necessarily safe on Wednesday but then again it might be.

Obviously people should inform themselves and heeding warning information but even then I can see how errors of judgement are easy to make. Fact is, the sea is never going to be totally safe but that's not the same as saying no-one should ever go near it.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 22/08/2016 13:29

I don't think it's just the number of tourists. It's the number of tourists for the type of weather we had. Normally this sort of weather is more typical towards the end of the season or out of it rather than at high points.

Hopefully the message is sinking in. There were definitely fewer people on the beach last night than in similar conditions the other week.

Itwillbefine · 22/08/2016 13:51

The Kaiser Chiefs gig was near me, apparently the organisers couldn't predict that the high tide would get even higher with the winds Hmm

RockyBird · 22/08/2016 14:04

The mother and son in Aberdeen, weren't swimming. They boy fell in accidentally (lots of kids climb on the dykes/rocks/groynes) and the mother went in to try to save him. Her older son also jumped in to try and rescue him mum/brother and so did 2 other members of the public.

My children have played at the exact spot, many times. It is horrific.

Behindthedoor · 22/08/2016 14:10

i like this metre high installation at Cardiff Bay ......

AIBU to think that we need more education about the sea?
megletthesecond · 22/08/2016 14:58

That's good behind.

Mycatsabastard · 22/08/2016 15:21

My dp is a lifeguard at a local club. My teen is a trainee lifeguard and 10 year old is a rookie.

Our club provides boat cover for events on the sea here. It was out on Thursday evening to ensure swimmers and boats weren't in the flying zone or the firework zone. Dp wasn't on duty but we were out for the evening and down the beach so we saw events unfolding. A woman in her 30's had decided to go for a swim at dusk on her own. Most of the beach was fenced off so she was lucky she was spotted, being dragged away by a bad undercurrent. One of the lifeguards who had only gone down to help launch the boat got a board and paddled out to her. We had to call the lifeboat back, the coastguard was involved as well as paramedics. In total around 20 people got involved in her rescue.

Swimming at night and alone is incredibly dangerous. Swimming outwith the swim zones is dangerous.

The RNLI have safe swim zones on our beaches (although I think knocking off at 6pm when people are down there with kids until 8pm in the summer is bonkers) and you should stick to them.

A man died locally on Saturday and I believe he was caught in a rip tide outside the safe zone.

No matter how strong a swimmer you think you may be, if you get caught in one of those then unless you a) know what to do and b) get spotted then it's a strong possibility you won't make it.

Water safety is something we should all be aware of.

Mycatsabastard · 22/08/2016 15:24

itwillbe The Night air show was cancelled because the stage started to collapse in the sand due to the spring tide. The friday night show saw huge waves coming under the fencing and people having to be pulled out of the water.

They had no option but to cancel but if they had cancelled before then there would likely have been uproar.

I think they should think about moving the venue elsewhere for next year although not sure where as they like holding it at the beach. We went on Thursday night for the Royal Marine band which was lovely but it's not an ideal location when the weather is bad.

oldlaundbooth · 22/08/2016 15:30

I also think there's an attitude that because it's Britain, it can't be that dangerous Hmm

Which is completely nonsensical.

oldlaundbooth · 22/08/2016 15:35

It's not just the sea either.

We were body surfing on a lake in Ontario and it was surprising how strong the currents are.

I was absolutely exhausted after an hour, it really takes it out of you. You have to know your limits. I know I'm a crap swimmer and so only went in the shallow bits.

goddessoftheharvest · 22/08/2016 16:11

old I'm going to sound dozy, but I never realised that the Great Lakes in America (Michigan is it?) were basically inland seas until quite recently. I was watching sometime about a ship that had vanished in one. The waves were HUGE.

There's that creepy stream up north in England somewhere too, isn't there? The Strid? About three foot wide, looks like a sweet forest stream,but it's deep into this massive cave system and the current is ferocious. Nobody who has fallen in it has survived.

It's no wonder we used to have stories about kelpies, and Jenny Green Teeth, and other monsters who would lurk around water, waiting to drag people down. So much of the time, that must be what it seems like- playing on rocks, walking along beside a stretch of seemingly calm water, the next thing, gone

PortiaCastis · 22/08/2016 16:11

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37152592
Advice issued by RNLI today including flag warnings

oldlaundbooth · 22/08/2016 16:24

goddessoftheharvest

Yup!

We were on Lake Ontario which is 18,960 km², (!) so basically an ocean. You can't see the other side and it was very choppy with people surfing on it!

I was thinking it would be like Windermere....