Coasteering Instructor Swims For Help

[martini]

Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office: COASTEERING INSTRUCTOR SWIMS FOR HELP AFTER GROUP GET CUT OFF BY TIDE

Discuss.

[Erin]

I'll start ya.

Were their lives in danger?

[akirk]

where they were met by the Coastguard Rescue Team and given safety advice.

mmm - one can just imagine...

Alasdair

[Mollers]

A VHF and a mobile in a drysac wouldn't have gone a miss. Swimming for it does appear rather 'last year'.

[willk]

Originally Posted by Erin

Were their lives in danger?

Certainly, if Hypothermia is considered a danger. When things got colder, they would have done something stupid - climbing or whatever.

Instructor - hmmm. Hopefully the "Instructor" will be sued. I'd have thought that tides would be a major part of coasteering planning/risk management. It should be easy to get a favourable verdict.

If it was an amateur organisation, I'm afraid that I have just as little sympathy. Well meaning incompentance kills just as quickly as the paid sort.

[martini]

It's not known wether they would have run out of beach at hw or not but they must've been pretty cold and miserable by the time they got picked up at 8.30pm

We have the technology to deal with these situations if not prevent them, people just aren't using it.

A friend of mine went for a wreck dive at the weekend which somehow turned into a drift dive SAR Helo etc, the full monty. Few quid on a PLB would've been money well spent

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by Mollers

A VHF and a mobile in a drysac wouldn't have gone a miss.

Interesting to see the CG advising coast walkers to carry a VHF, I was not aware of that view before now.

Not that I am in any way suggesting that carrying a VHF when doing stuff like that is a bad idea, just that it is the first time I have seen it recommended.

Will this spawn a new coastal activities radio course perhaps? AFAIK the RYA are the only organisation in the UK who can issue a leisure SRC?

Swansea Coastguard Watch Manager Will Parfait said:

“Anyone heading out onto the coast, especially those involved in an activity such as coasteering where there are associated dangers, should always carry with them a means of raising the alarm, whether it be a mobile phone, VHF radio, or handheld flares."

[Starovich]

I know where to got good deals on Tide Calendars - much cheaper than a vhf

[Channel Ribs]

Originally Posted by martini

Few quid on a PLB would've been money well spent

Send 'em a link.

[m chappelow]

Originally Posted by Channel Ribs

Interesting to see the CG advising coast walkers to carry a VHF, I was not aware of that view before now.

Not that I am in any way suggesting that carrying a VHF when doing stuff like that is a bad idea, just that it is the first time I have seen it recommended.

Will this spawn a new coastal activities radio course perhaps? AFAIK the RYA are the only organisation in the UK who can issue a leisure SRC?

Good point ,i was in the understanding that using a marine v.h.f. on land was taken with a dim view .