Extra caution warning for ocean users during extreme spring tides
THE National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has warned beachgoers to be extra cautious of dangerous riptides in the build-up to full moon next week.
Spokesman Craig Lambinon said yesterday conditions would become increasingly dangerous from Monday until the spring tide peaked next Friday.
All swimmers were also urged not to consume alcohol.
Lambinon said riptides would increase in the build-up to the January 12 peak, and bathers and anglers were more at risk of getting caught in strong currents.
Steve Pike, who runs the Wavescape surf forecasting website, said yesterday sea users needed to be extra careful on Thursday and Friday next week because of extra big swells.
“There is a slew of storms passing south of the country and we will be getting sporadic big waves during that period.”
He said it was ironic that the moon was closest to Earth for the year in the January holidays, creating a higher spring tide and more dangerous rip currents.
Pike warned people caught in a rip current not to paddle against it but to go with the pull and slowly work their way out of it.
Statistics released by the NSRI yesterday showed that its volunteers had responded to 132 callouts and rescued 193 people from the beginning of last month until January 2.
“In 38 of these operations, we responded to boats and ships calling for assistance, and we evacuated three patients from ships for medical reasons.”
Lambinon said there were 37 drownings nationally – 23 adults and 14 children – and 10 animals were assisted.
While most of the drownings were in the sea, suspected to be caused by coastal rip currents, some were from medical causes and others occurred in lagoons, pools, rivers, lakes and dams or from accidents around water, he said.
The NSRI urged bathers to visit beaches only where and when lifeguards were on duty.
Offshore paddlers and boaters were also urged to download the free RSA Safetrx cellphone app to record and track their movements at sea.