Don’t make it a Bank Holiday weekend to remember for all the wrong reasons at the coast

Almost 13,000 people have needed the help of HM Coastguard since the beginning of this summer – this weekend, don’t become another statistic.

As the UK looks set for a mix of weather this coming Bank Holiday weekend, coastguards are warning people to follow the safety advice and not to take any risks at the coast or in the sea.

It has been HM Coastguard’s busiest-ever summer on record, with the emergency service dealing with 12,752 incidents since the start of June up until 26 August. This has involved call-outs for Coastguard Rescue Teams, search and rescue responses with aircraft, RNLI and independent lifeboats and hovercrafts, as well as work to support emergency service partners.

This summer’s overall incident count is an increase of 16% when compared to the corresponding period last summer (10,884 incidents between 1 June and 26 August 2019). This August alone, the coastguard has responded to nearly 5,000 incidents at the coast – a rise of about 1,000 when compared to August 2019 statistics.

From people being swept out to sea on inflatables to many instances of people getting cut off by the tide, the coastguard has often been dealing with multiple incidents of the same kind, and more, on a daily basis.

Before you venture out to the coast in the coming days, we urge you to check tide timings, conditions, whether or not a beach is lifeguarded and please ensure that you leave all inflatables at home. It also goes without saying that you should always carry a fully-charged phone with you, so that you have a means of contacting us if something does indeed go wrong.

And, for dog walkers – always keep your pet on a lead, especially near cliff edges or areas of fast-flowing water.

HM Coastguard Director, Claire Hughes, said: “We fully understand that people will want to make the most of some sunny weather this Bank Holiday weekend and enjoy the coast, particularly after the storms, strong winds and rain we have seen in previous days.

“All we ask from you is that you take extra care at the coast and think about how dangerous the sea, especially, can be – even if you are an experienced swimmer or water sports enthusiast.
 
“As our figures show, our Coastguard Rescue Teams and emergency service partners are always ready to respond when someone calls 999 and asks for the Coastguard, or we receive a VHF radio distress call. We’ll do everything we can to rescue those in need of our help, but need your help too by staying safe and preventing incidents.”

1. Further advice about how to stay safe at the beach and in the sea is available from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (https://coastguardsafety.campaign.gov.uk). 

2. Statistics compiled by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency are collated from information drawn directly from incident logs recorded by HM Coastguard operators dealing with the response to emergencies at the coast. On receiving a 999 or distress call, the operator records the incident directly and factually in terms of its kind (person in the water or cut off by the tide, for example) as well as the assets sent to deal with it. Those factual records form the basis of HM Coastguard’s ‘Vision’ database from where all statistical analysis is drawn using analytical tools.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is a frontline emergency response agency of the Department for Transport. As well as delivering maritime search and rescue through HM Coastguard (one of the four UK emergency services), the MCA is responsible for maritime regulation, safety and counter-pollution.