Don’t risk lives by taking inflatables into the water
Sunderland City Council is urging people across Wearside to not put their lives in danger by taking inflatables into the sea in areas where there are no permanent lifeguard patrols.
Coastal safety organisations are particularly concerned about the use of Harbour Beach (between Roker and Old North Piers), which is not a designated bathing beach unlike Roker and Seaburn.
This means that there are no permanent lifeguard patrols on hand.
The warning comes four years after a 17-year-old drownedintheharbourwhile trying to save his friends after their inflatable began to sink.
Nick Ayers, the RNLI Regional Water Safety Lead, has warnedthatinflatablesshould be tethered to someone on land at all times if they are going to be used at the coast.
He said: "We always advise people to swim at a lifeguardedbeachbetweentheRedand Yellow flags. Never use inflatables when the orange windsock is flying, this signifies that the winds are too strong.
“If you do choose to use an inflatable at the coast, ensure that it is tethered to someone onlandatalltimes.Inflatables can be picked up by the wind quickly."
Overtheweekend,Sunderland City Council staff crewing the Port of Sunderland’s water patrol boat had to warn numerouspeopleusinginflatables off Harbour Beach.
Harbourmaster Captain Kevin Ullah, said: "Last weekendwasparticularlybusywith a lot of people, including children, out in inflatable canoes, kayaks and on paddleboards, many of them not wearing suitable buoyancy aids or lifejackets.
"OntheSaturdaytherewas aparticularlystrongoff-shore wind together with a dropping tide which had the effect of pushing people out to sea which could very easily have resulted in a tragedy.
"Inflatable paddle boards andkayakshavebecomereally popular and people can now buy them quite cheaply and take them out to sea without having any idea of how to use them.Butwhattheydon'trealiseisthatiftheygetapuncture they can very easily go under. The very last thing we want to see is another tragedy off our coast.
"Allwater-basedleisureactivities should therefore take placefrombeacheswhereRNLI lifeguards are on duty."