Beachgoers have been warned over the dangers of jumping into the sea after HM Coastguard was called to an incident involving young people ‘tombstoning’ in Ventnor this afternoon (Wednesday).
At 13:30 today, Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team was tasked to provide safety advice to a group of young people who had been seen jumping into the sea from groynes on Ventnor Beach.
Tombstoning – the act of jumping from a structure such as a pier or a groyne, or jumping from height into the sea – can be an extremely dangerous activity due to the unknown depth of water below. The depth of water can be deceiving with the potential for injuries to be sustained should the water be too shallow.
Parents and carers are asked to ensure that children and teenagers under their supervision refrain from jumping into the sea for their own safety.
In this incident, no further coastguard assistance was required. Hampshire Constabulary was also informed.
A spokesperson for HM Coastguard said:
“We always urge people to have fun but stay safe when out enjoying our beautiful beaches and coastlines.
“Jumping from piers, cliffs, rocks or other structures into the sea can be very dangerous. The depth of the water can dramatically change with the tide, and what was a deep pool at lunchtime might be a shallow puddle by teatime. You don’t know what hazards may be lurking under the surface until you are hurt or worse.
Article continues below this advertisement “If you do want to jump from height into the sea we would advise people to join a coasteering group with a professional and reputable adventure centre.
“As ever, our message is, ‘Keep safe, but if you see anybody in trouble or if you get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard’”.
If you or someone else is in difficulty on the coast or at sea, or if you spot what you think may be unexploded ordnance, then dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard. Further safety information can be found at https://coastguardsafety.campaign.gov.uk/.
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Talk to them for ever, you can’t educate pork…
They need to spend some time volunteering on a spinal injuries unit and then see if it’s such a great idea.
That groyne in the picture don’t look that big or dangerous,get a life you old farts.
Actually, it’s not a groyne,it’s a breakwater. – groynes tend to be solid structures and usually made from concrete.
Who you talking to? I jump out of bed at 6am every morning, try doing that you big groyne
What will it take, a broken back or neck before these idiots take notice of sound advice given by the authorities?
It’s what kids do, leave them alone. One or two may end up in a wheelchair and regret it. But that’s life. Better than all of them becoming dope heads from boardroom.
You are quite correct- all those endless meetings! ( I think you meant BOREDOM) 🙂
‘boardroom’?
its the dimbos that tombstone off ryde pier at near low tide that need their heads testing – get that wrong and they are in ankle deep water, as the waves retreat, before coming back in again.
I really do feel for HM Coastguard. They have to be the guardians of safety conscious Britain, whilst some young people jump into the sea on a hot day. Not accepted in 2021! All right to push young men out of aeroplanes in 1944 though, only to land in a hostile environment where lots of other people tried to dead them with bang sticks!
If these kids were local, then the chances are they know only sand & shingle form around the end of this breakwater. Jumping into water is part of having fun at the seaside & if their parents were ok with them doing it, then who are HMCG volunteers to tell them not to. They don’t have authority to stop that kind of thing. Advise the tide is slowly dropping. NOT dramatically changing like their statement reads. This is Ventnor Not the Wash where the tide moves extremely fast. We would always jump off the boating lake wall. But only after one of us had swam down to check it was clear. It was FUN.