A good tide, a cooling sea breeze and glorious summer sunshine made for the perfect conditions for the annual St Helens Fort Walk at the weekend – but not as many people took part as was expected.
It’s estimated between 700-1,500 people walked out from St Helens and Bembridge on Saturday evening, with smaller numbers on Sunday morning and again on Sunday evening.
It had been feared by the emergency services that in excess of 4,000 people would turn out to the ‘happening’, but it seems that words of warning put the masses off – or perhaps the exceptional weather meant Islanders and visitors were enjoying other activities.
Each year crowds of people walk out to the fort for no other reason than to say ‘I’ve done it’. Social media has seen the event – which doesn’t have an organiser or set time/date – become more popular in recent years.
Although Saturday passed without any incident, yesterday evening saw 2 people get into bother and a child was reported missing – but both incidents were quickly resolved.
After all the warnings to not walk it people still did it, thankfully there were only two incidents.
Does the benefit outweigh the risk no it doesn’t , so why not put a sign up saying people who attempt to walk to fort will be fined £ 1000 that would stop them
Would that include paddling and swimming. Perhaps we should stop the pier to pier swim, that cost resources or is that ok as it an organised event. Just like they unofficially line the route to the fort
As there is no legal basis for your proposal and it is not enforceable the sign is would be totally meaningless.
I don’t think it was advertised well enough. The lifeboat people could have put up more posters etc to advertise the event properly.
Moan moan moan moan moan moan……