I don't normally use this blog for a rant about anything but feel rather moved to do so today.
On Friday afternoon we went to the pub at on the North Cornish coast, we hadn't been for a while and it one of our favorites. Whilst we were sitting in the sun enjoying our beer we saw a rescue helicopter come over the cliffs from Bude and down towards us and then down towards the sea. We thought it was a practice, but found out later that a 20 year old man had lost his life lost having got stuck up the cliffs after being cut off by the tide (his friend was saved).
Now this is terrible and I feel quite strange knowing that someone was in deep danger only a short distance away from where we were enjoying ourselves. However, I am also angry at this accident that could so easily have been prevented. Why don't people check when they are going to the beach and particularly if they plan to walk from one beach to another especially along a rocky coastline what time high water is and the tide height, you should also check that you know where you can get off the shoreline if you need too. These rocky coastlines have few places where you can get up the cliffs. I have no idea where these two got onto the shore and whether they were on holiday or locals but that should make no difference. It should be common sense and common practice to check for high water times particularly.
My rant then is to say to people, please please please be careful when you go to the beach and particularly a rocky coastline, know the tide times and heights and know how you can get off the shore if you need to.
Right, rant over.
Edited on 14 April 09.
Just as I was cleaning out the woodburner I found a piece in the local paper from end March about two teachers and their pupils who were on a school climbing trip to Hartland Quay (a local beauty spot with very dramatic cliffs and rock formations). This group were from a local school and they got cut off too. All were rescued after the teaching assistant scaled the rocks to raise the alarm (which had already been done by some walkers). This is almost even more terrible in the fact that this was a local group who were familiar with the area, and who climb there regularly; they in particular should have been fully aware of the tide times and in this case the real problem which was the tide height!!!
On Friday afternoon we went to the pub at on the North Cornish coast, we hadn't been for a while and it one of our favorites. Whilst we were sitting in the sun enjoying our beer we saw a rescue helicopter come over the cliffs from Bude and down towards us and then down towards the sea. We thought it was a practice, but found out later that a 20 year old man had lost his life lost having got stuck up the cliffs after being cut off by the tide (his friend was saved).
Now this is terrible and I feel quite strange knowing that someone was in deep danger only a short distance away from where we were enjoying ourselves. However, I am also angry at this accident that could so easily have been prevented. Why don't people check when they are going to the beach and particularly if they plan to walk from one beach to another especially along a rocky coastline what time high water is and the tide height, you should also check that you know where you can get off the shoreline if you need too. These rocky coastlines have few places where you can get up the cliffs. I have no idea where these two got onto the shore and whether they were on holiday or locals but that should make no difference. It should be common sense and common practice to check for high water times particularly.
My rant then is to say to people, please please please be careful when you go to the beach and particularly a rocky coastline, know the tide times and heights and know how you can get off the shore if you need to.
Right, rant over.
Edited on 14 April 09.
Just as I was cleaning out the woodburner I found a piece in the local paper from end March about two teachers and their pupils who were on a school climbing trip to Hartland Quay (a local beauty spot with very dramatic cliffs and rock formations). This group were from a local school and they got cut off too. All were rescued after the teaching assistant scaled the rocks to raise the alarm (which had already been done by some walkers). This is almost even more terrible in the fact that this was a local group who were familiar with the area, and who climb there regularly; they in particular should have been fully aware of the tide times and in this case the real problem which was the tide height!!!
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