NSRI warns beachgoers to take care

BEACHGOERS have been warned to be extra-cautious not to get caught in deceptively harmless-looking spring or rip tides at local beaches over the week of Christmas.

Issuing the warning yesterday, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) spokesperson Craig Lambinon urged public caution around the coast as the full moon spring tide takes effect, leading to the full moon peaking at 3pm tomorrow.

Lambinon said the alert applies from today until December 26 when the full moon spring tide brings a higher than normal high tide and a lower than normal low tide.

Urging anglers fishing along the coastline, bathers, beach walkers and coastal hikers to be cautious, especially during the afternoons at high tide, Lambinon said: “The spring high tides, which peak every afternoon during this coming week, indicate that some beaches will have very little place for beachgoers as the high tide rises.

“Rock anglers should be aware that places that they have fished, from previously during the past week, may be submerged at high tide next week.”

Lambinon said the NSRI appealed to parents to make sure their children have responsible adult supervision when they are at the beach, or in and around any water.

Lambinon said beachgoers should make sure they have the NSRI emergency number programmed in their phone – or Google “Sea Rescue” to find the closest emergency number to the area they are visiting.

The Sea Rescue emergency number from one’s cellphone is: 112.