The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Her Majesty’s (HM) Coastguard have launched a joint beach safety campaign as a new study reveals around 30mn people plan to visit the UK coast this summer.
In a survey, commissioned by the RNLI, 75% of those questioned - aged 16-64 - expect to visit a UK beach or the coast between April and September, with around half of that number likely to do so three or more times. A significantly higher proportion of the public (36%) also said they plan to visit the coast more than usual this year, compared to 2020 (24%). Last summer, RNLI lifeguards recorded more than 15M visitors on the beaches the lifesaving charity was patrolling on.
It was the last Friday in July 2020, a week into the school summer holidays. Ravi Saini and his family had travelled from Leeds to Scarborough for a trip to the seaside. Ravi – who was 10 at the time but is now 11 - and his dad Nathu Ram walked down to the water’s edge at South Bay and started to paddle but didn’t realise how deep the water had become. As Ravi tried to get back into shallow water he got separated from his dad. He was in the water on his own for nearly an hour before Scarborough’s RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew found him and took him back to shore and his grateful family. He hummed to himself to keep himself distracted.
Ravi said: ‘As soon as I tried to get back to the shallow part a rip current took me away from my dad. I realised I could no longer touch the bottom. I shouted help, help help!
‘My dad can’t swim. He just had to go to the shore and raise the alarm. I was really scared and petrified. I thought that was the end of my life. I used the RNLI technique called Float to live, where you lie on your back like a starfish. I couldn’t see anything, only the sky and it was really cold.
‘As I was floating on my back, I was getting calmer.
‘I didn’t see the lifeboat, I heard it. I started shouting and then I was like I’m going to get a second chance to live.’
Nathu said: ‘The water was round my neck. Slowly Ravi was going too far out. Once or twice we saw his face. After that we didn’t see him.’
RNLI Water Safety Manager Ross MacLeod said: ‘The main message is try to go to a lifeguarded beach. If you and your family go to one of the 245 lifeguarded beaches you will have a trained professional on hand to give you advice and who will also be there if something goes wrong.
‘Look out for the red and yellow flags which signify the safest part of the beach to swim on. If you do find yourself in difficulty in the water, do exactly as Ravi did. His was a fantastic example of how to Float to Live and remembering something that can potentially save you life. Stay calm in the water, extend your arms and legs and lie on your back like a starfish. It allows you to relax, catch your breath before making your next move.
‘The final thing is if you see anyone else in trouble in the water the first thing you should do is either tell a lifeguard or dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Please try not to enter the water yourself as you may then get into trouble yourself.
‘The RNLI would say enjoy the open air at the coast but just be aware of some of the risks such as the water temperature, which can be dangerously cold at this time of year despite the air temperature warming up.
‘Ravi is far from alone and a lot of people do get caught out by the conditions. That’s why it’s so important to think for a moment before going into the water so you and your family can stay as safe as possible.’
For further information on the beach safety campaign visit: RNLI.org/BeachUK2021
