A safety alert of high importance has been issued following numerous serious incidents along certain areas of the coastline in the United Kingdom.
Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade (TVLB) is advising the public to be extremely cautious in the upcoming days due to the expected large waves hitting the shore.
The TVLB has cautioned that powerful rip currents will create a significant hazard on several beaches in North Tyneside, leading the organization to issue an urgent water safety warning.
In a message shared on social media, a spokesperson for the charity stated that there have been multiple incidents this year where individuals were almost drowned after being caught in rip currents. Tragically, there was a drowning incident at Longsands beach involving a non-swimmer being pulled out to sea.
The TVLB has emphasized that on December 29, the wave period is estimated to be around 13 seconds in the morning, underscoring the need to carefully assess conditions before entering the water, especially for those planning to swim.
If caught in a rip current, it is recommended to try swimming parallel to the shore to escape. If that is not possible, the advice is to ‘float to live’ and call for help.
To address water safety concerns, the TVLB will be hosting a drop-in water safety clinic on Saturday, January 3, at King Edwards Bay from sunrise. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and raise any safety issues. In case of witnessing someone in distress in the water, it is advised to contact the Coastguard by dialing 999 and refrain from attempting a rescue.
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