Eastbourne seafront experienced a busy start to the summer last weekend as soaring temperatures and World Cup celebrations brought record numbers of families and barbecues to the beach.
A great day for kids, Lifeguards handed out double the number of wristbands for the Kidzone colour coded safety scheme. However with a dozen first aid cases, four pier jumpers and one serious sea rescue, it is the adults who Lifeguards are reminding to be more careful in the sun and in the water.
Eastbourne Borough Council Spokesperson for Tourism, Councillor Ian Lucas said “On Saturday we were inundated with swimmers in the sea following the end of the match, along with many heat related first aid cases. Thanks to the additional help of Allchorn Pleasure Boats and a passing jet skier we dealt with these problems, however they could have easily been avoided.”
“I would urge everyone to keep this an enjoyable World Cup summer by protecting yourself from the sun and from dehydration, particularly if consuming alcohol during the match, and finally never ever jump from the pier, it really is very dangerous.”
With many people sizzling sausages on their beach barbecues, Lifeguards are also reminding people to keep to designated barbecue areas at Fisherman’s Green to prevent potential heat hazards on the shingle.
Councillor Lucas added “Barbecues on shingle can be very dangerous, causing stones to heat up and splinter violently. The intense heat created by even a small disposable barbecue can take some time to die down, causing burns to anyone walking on the shingle afterwards.”
Lifeguards patrol beaches from the Pier to Wish Tower from 10am to 5pm each day. Here are their top tips for beach safety:
- Don’t be over confident or show off – tides and rough seas can drown even the strongest swimmer
- Don’t dive into unknown depths – rocks, breakwaters and underwater obstacles are dangerous
- Never ignore warning notices – follow lifeguards advice and remember the Red Flag means it is dangerous to swim
- Don’t swim when cold, tired or after consuming food or alcohol
- Beware offshore winds - always tether inflatables and supervise children playing in them – and never chase inflatables out to sea
- Be careful at high tide – shingle can be quite steep and swimmers will be out of their depth quite quickly
- Never leave litter on the beach – broken glass and cans are unsightly and dangerous
- Never place a barbecue on shingle – hot stones can burn feet and splinter violently
- Never use a watercraft within the 100m swimming exclusion zone
- Finally remember SLIP, SLAP, SLOP: Slip on a t-shirt, slap on a hat and slop on some sunblock – SPF 10-15 for all skin types, even when cloudy. Stay in the shade between 11am – 3pm and wear sunglasses.
