Rescue attempt at Cornwall. Image: @paul.l.blatchford
Strong winds and high tides around the British coastline have led to the loss of six lives at the hands of the ocean in less than 24 hours. Three men, two women, and a young boy have all perished in UK seas in Cornwall, Dorset, Aberdeen, Essex and Jersey.
On Friday afternoon large waves swept a family off rocks in Cornwall and dragged them out to sea. Rudy and Lisinda Bruynius and their two-year-old daughter were later rescued, but Mr. Bruynius died in hospital whilst his daughter remains in serious condition. The couple’s two young sons managed to scramble to safety at Fistral Beach, Newquay – site of the recent WQS Boardmasters event.
At around midday on Saturday, a windsurfer was rescued off the Essex coastline but died after being airlifted to safety. Later that day, a swimmer in Dorset was caught out by a sudden increase in winds to Beaufort Force 8 and was pronounced dead on the scene when the coastguard arrived.
Further north in Aberdeen two brothers were swept away whilst paddling. A rescue attempt involving several people – including the boys’ mother, Julie Walker – failed when everyone who entered the water had to be rescued. Julie Walker and her six-year-old son, Lucas, did not survive.
A swimmer also lost her life in high tides and strong winds off the Jersey coastline. Joy Godfray died in the hospital after she and her swimming partner were picked up by the RNLI.
Several other rescues over the course of the weekend have led to the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency issuing warnings against the dangers of the sea.
Despite the fact that Britain is a large island, many people fail to fully understand the dangers of the coastline. It’s easy to overlook that we are exposed to huge expanses of water in some parts of the country. At various points on the mainland you could theoretically travel in a straight line to North or South America, Iceland, Scandinavia, or even Svalbard. The varied terrain and hundreds of islands around our coastline also leads to fast, potentially deadly tidal streams and rips.
As surfers, we hope to develop an awareness of the power of the sea and weather patterns, but the reality is that in pursuit of our lifestyle we seek out dangerous coastal locations. Despite our knowledge and experience, we are all guilty of being blaśe in the face of potentially deadly sea conditions every once in a while. This tragic weekend in the UK is a stark reminder that we should never underestimate the power of the sea.
Yesterday afternoon From Fistral to Towan RNLI search operation,rescue & airlift #lifesaver #Cornwall #RNLI pic.twitter.com/AqIT0ddjTy
— Paul.L.Blatchford (@PLBlatchford) August 20, 2016
