Comment: 83% of all UK 2023 drownings were male

I’m never more conflicted than when I’m at the coast. Sitting in a remote pebbled gully, I watched the swell of turquoise water rise and fall, was lulled by the gentle rhythmic sound of the waves, ate my picnic lunch with good company and felt so safe and relaxed. Until an orange jelly fish the size of dustbin lid floated towards me like an alien creature and totally freaked me out! A sense of evil forboding washed over me, there were hidden dangers here.

The beauty of the British Coast often belies its treachery. A week of walking coastal paths encompassed extreme beauty and extreme treachery. The scenery was so dramatic yet potential danger lurked at every turn. We encountered other, mostly sensible, walkers. But we also witnessed, what I will call “lads”, veering away from the marked path towards the steep cliff edge.

Because of these recent first hand encounters I welcome HM Coastguard’s latest Coast Clever summer safety campaign to remind people how to stay safe and avoid the dangers and hazards at the coast. It includes a new film with singer and comedian Arthur Hill who finds out that it’s not funny to get cut off by the tide or caught out on cliffs.

The campaign addresses four common risks at the coast:

Tidal cut off; being surrounded by the sea when the tide comes in

Offshore winds; winds that blow you from the land out to sea

Stuck in mud; being trapped in mud or soft sand

Cliff slips and falls

The short Coast Clever film follows comedian Arthur as he takes up an invitation from HM Coastguard to discover for himself how to stay safe on the coast. He meets a coastguard rescue officer on a small pebbly beach at the base of a cliff. The scenario was that the tide was coming in and if he were cut off, he would need to be rescued. He bravely accepted the challenge to take part in his simulated rescue and scaled nearly 100 metres (over 300ft) of cliff in the capable hands of one of HM Coastguard’s highly trained specialist rope rescue teams.

HM Coastguard responded to over 2,000 call outs to incidents of people getting cut off by the tide in the last three years†. New data from the annual UK-wide research commissioned by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, conducted by Assenti Research has shown:

Only 36% of people perceive getting cut off by tide coming in as one of the biggest risks at the coast.

74% of people admit they think they should check tide times when visiting the coast, but only 35% claimed they actually did on their last visit.

Across the UK in 2023, males accounted for 83% of all drownings*. Due to this alarming fatality rate in men, this year’s Coast Clever campaign is designed to appeal to ‘lads and dads’ who may be more at risk. Survey data** also reveals younger men are less likely to call 999 for help in an emergency. 32% of males aged 16-35 would call 999 if they saw someone struggling in the water compared to 45% of males aged 36-plus.

HM Coastguard’s top tips to stay safe and have an enjoyable day at the coast

Check the weather forecast and tide times before you set off

Cliffs can be unstable, so stay clear of cliff edges and bases

Watch out for mud and if you do get stuck, lean back to spread your weight

Avoid water sports in an offshore wind, when the wind blows from the land out to sea

Tell someone where you are going and when you’ll be back

Take a fully charged mobile phone and consider taking a PLB (personal locator beacon) which alerts the emergency services from the remotest of locations

In a coastal emergency, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard

Commenting on the Coast Clever campaign Claire Hughes, Director of His Majesty’s Coastguard said: “We want everyone to enjoy our fantastic coastline and beaches this summer. The happiest of memories are always made when you and your loved ones stay safe. Every summer, sadly some people don’t take home happy memories. Our latest Coast Clever safety campaign is a timely reminder to encourage people to take some simple safety precautions and of course if anyone is in difficulty to call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”

Main Photo Credit: Val Fraser