Summer sun is here – hints and tips on staying safe at the beach
With the sun set to shine over the next few days many people are likely to head to the coast. The RNLI are urging people to enjoy a day at the coast, but to stay safe.
RNLI lifeguards will be patrolling over 170 beaches this weekend, if you are unsure of the sea conditions or don’t know the tide times say hello and they will be happy to help. They are encouraging anyone visiting the coast to head to a lifeguarded beach and if they intend to go in the water to swim to do so between the red and yellow flags.
Last year RNLI lifeguards across the UK helped nearly 18,000 beach-goers who got in to trouble on the beach. These included minor first aid incidents from slips, trips and falls to more serious in water rescues.
Lifeguards have already been rescuing people in trouble this year and on Friday June 9 the charity’s lifeguards in Wales assisted a teenage boy to safety. The teenager got into difficulty as he paddled from one beach round to another on his body-board. With a 3 foot swell and a high tide the teenager had to take refuge by climbing up onto rocks 30 metres from shore. The lifeguard encouraged the youngster to get onto the rescue board where the lifeguard then returned him through the surf to his very relived family.
Brett Shepherd, Operations Support Manager (Lifeguards) said ‘the beach is a great place to visit and relax during your time off but we urge people to be aware of some of the dangers. Our advice is to always swim at a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. If you see someone in difficulty raise the alarm by alerting a nearby lifeguard or calling 999 and asking for the coastguard.’
To find an RNLI Lifeguarded beached please visit https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeguarded-beaches and for our safety advice from flags to inflatables please visit https://rnli.org/safety/beach-safety/beach-safety-advice
For media enquiries please contact the Press Office on 01202 336789 or [email protected]
Notes to Editor:
In 2016 RNLI Lifeguards:
Saved 127 lives
Dealt with 17,414 incidents
Aided 20, 538 people
In the height of the summer RNLI Lifeguards will be patrolling over 250 beaches.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
Learn more about the RNLI
For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.
Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.