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Plea to stop teens’ lethal sea-jumping (From Bournemouth Echo)
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Plea to stop teens’ lethal sea-jumping
6:30pm Monday 6th July 2009
“TOMBSTONING ruins lives.” That is the message being targeting at young people in Dorset in a bid to combat a growing problem.
The potentially lethal practice, which involves leaping from height into the water, is particularly common from piers.
It has left people across the country paralysed or worse after they jumped into shallow water or hit submerged objects – and it is becomingly worryingly more common in Purbeck, according to coastguards.
So as the summer holidays approach they are teaming up with police and beach wardens to spell out the dangers to young people.
Swanage coastguard station manager Ian Brown said: “We have had nine deaths and 18 serious injuries in two years nationally.
“That figure just can’t keep going up – it ruins people’s lives.
“We don’t want the local area to be tainted with statistics like that.”
He said last weekend alone there were five incidents of tombstoning reported in Purbeck, with Swanage Pier and Quay, Wareham Quay and Dancing Ledge among the hot spots.
While there had been not injuries in the area so far, Mr Brown said that they were inevitable if it didn’t stop “We are seeing a huge increase in children finishing school and rushing down to the water and throwing themselves in,” he added.
“We need to get the message across to parents as well.
“I don’t want to be knocking on someone’s door to tell them their son or daughter is in hospital with serious neck injuries”
He added: “We not being killjoys, we’re not health and safety anoraks – this is serious.
“That is the message we’re trying to get across.”
Coastguards and police will be visited schools before the end of term to speak to youngsters about the dangers, Purbeck section commander Inspector Chris Weeks said: “Tombstoning is unacceptable.
“There is no safe way to carry it out.”
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Your Say YourEcho
MJD, HAMWORTHY says...
7:08pm Mon 6 Jul 09
Roginthesouth, Bournemouth says...
7:14pm Mon 6 Jul 09
ferret38 wrote:I can’t help but agree with you, but the emotional cost to the individuals and their families, is in addition to the cost of hospital and medical treatment, both for short term and possibly for the rest of their lives. At a time when there are certainly going to be substantial cutbacks in the public sector to cover the costs of inept and irresponsible banking, if the message can be broadcast to prevent this activity, then the funds can be better spent elsewhere
Bahhh let them get on with it , they know the risks !
manana, southbourne says...
7:42pm Mon 6 Jul 09
GB916, christchurch says...
7:47pm Mon 6 Jul 09
poolebabe, poole says...
7:50pm Mon 6 Jul 09
jqne123, says...
8:07pm Mon 6 Jul 09
yentlrose, weymouth says...
9:14pm Mon 6 Jul 09
peterdw777, says...
9:39pm Mon 6 Jul 09
2Much...again!, Ringwood says...
10:32pm Mon 6 Jul 09
Roginthesouth wrote:I agree Ferret, they should be allowed to do these sorts of things if they choose to.
ferret38 wrote:I can’t help but agree with you, but the emotional cost to the individuals and their families, is in addition to the cost of hospital and medical treatment, both for short term and possibly for the rest of their lives. At a time when there are certainly going to be substantial cutbacks in the public sector to cover the costs of inept and irresponsible banking, if the message can be broadcast to prevent this activity, then the funds can be better spent elsewhere
Bahhh let them get on with it , they know the risks !
They are kids, not doing ANYONE ELSE any harm, just having some fun..when kids are mentioned there's always something negative to say.
pipistrollers, Bournemouth says...
12:55am Tue 7 Jul 09
Got to hand it to the Harbour Master though he called the police to stop them.
godzillareturns, poole says...
7:34am Tue 7 Jul 09
cantique, bournemouth says...
9:22am Tue 7 Jul 09
Maureen Arthur, Hamlet of Poole says...
10:05am Tue 7 Jul 09
whahahahahahaha!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oink!
david barbara, Turlin Moor says...
12:51pm Tue 7 Jul 09
tinkerbell57, Bournemouth says...
1:34pm Tue 7 Jul 09
manana wrote:My friends brother is the boy that Manana heard, like a gun shoot, that was his neck, since that day he has spent his life in a wheelchair, unable to do anything for himself. Tombstoming is dangerous and life changing, he is lucky that it didn;t kill him, although somedays I am sure he wishes it had.
I remember working on the pier about 16 years ago and some lad jumped off the pier. All I heard was a large cracking sound as something, neck or back, snapped. I then saw him floating face down in the water as people were swimming to his aid. Last I heard he was paralysed. Horrible thing to happen to anyone. I tell my kids all the time about the dangers of this sort of thing but it does need bringing to peoples attention more. Now the weathers getting better there will be more of it. People will always think it wont happen to them.
I did it once, and I cannot believe how stupid i was, the tides can change so quickly, 1st jump into 100ft of water, by the time you get back to go again it could be 10ft of water.
It is not just local legend people have been hurt seriosly by doing this, it should be stopped!
Pasiphae, Canford Heath says...
1:50pm Tue 7 Jul 09
When one of these jumps goes wrong it is the RNLI, Coastguard and Ambulance service who pick up the pieces.
david barbara, Turlin Moor says...
2:15pm Tue 7 Jul 09
Nothing will change, it is just lifes sad roundabout.
Emulated, Bournemouth says...
4:40pm Tue 7 Jul 09
ferret38 wrote:I agree but others also pay for these idiots actions. Educating them won't work as they always think they know best. Fine those that do it as only money talks in a language the idiots understand.
Bahhh let them get on with it , they know the risks !
KLH, bournemouth says...
1:58pm Thu 9 Jul 09
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ferret38, bournemouth says...
6:39pm Mon 6 Jul 09