Seafront Officers urge residents and visitors to stay away from the sea this winter.
THE WARNING follows the recent incident when an experienced swimmer had to be rescued after getting into difficulty while swimming near the pier.
Seafront Manager Chris Ingall explained: “The continuing mild weather has meant that the Seafront has been much busier than in previous autumns. It’s been great to see so many people enjoying a stroll on the promenade and its good news for Seafront businesses, but we would ask people to stay on the path or high up on the beach, especially when the sea conditions are rough.
“Please keep a close eye on children and hold their hand when on the beach. Do not allow children to play ‘chicken’ with the surf washing up the beach – we see this regularly on big winter surf days and this is precisely how people become washed out to sea. Parents need to take greater responsibility and keep little ones close at all times when visiting the beach.”
This year the council will be taking extra measures to discourage swimmers from taking a Christmas Day dip by closing the beaches around the Palace Pier.
“Sea swimming takes skill, stamina and knowledge of the physical dangers and should only be for the very experienced, using suitable wetsuits, in very calm conditions and with a friend,” said Chris. “Even on a calm day sea currents, undertow or a sudden change in weather can create life threatening hazards without warning. Even experienced swimmers can get caught out.”
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