Mind the tides, advises NSRI

WITH the school holidays, heritage celebrations taking place as well as the full moon spring tide and stormy weather predicted, the NSRI advises sea users and inland water users to exercise extreme caution in and around water.

Craig Lambinon, spokesman for Sea Rescue said boaters and paddlers at sea, bathers at beaches and at dams, rivers, lakes and swimming pools and anglers fishing from the coastline and along the banks of flooded rivers, swollen dams and lakes are urged to exercise extreme caution as very rough sea conditions can be expected to last well into the week following a series of cold fronts.

“This coupled with the full moon Spring tide will result in dangerous sea conditions along the entire coastline,” he added.

Spring tides affect every coastline bringing higher than normal high tides, lower than normal low tides and hence stronger than normal rip currents. “Anyone caught in a rip current should not panic and should simply make every effort to stay afloat while the rip current sweeps you out to sea,” says Lambinon. He advised not to fight against the current but rather stay afloat by treading water- moving your arms and legs in circular movements. “Wave an arm towards shore and scream for help to alert people on the shore that you are in trouble. At your first opportunity swim across the beach front, parallel to the coastline, until you are free of the rip current and then use the incoming waves to get back to shore,” he said.

Warning:

Boaters and paddlers should wear their life-jackets at all times when on water, carry and be familiar with the use of safety equipment, let a responsible person know their departure time, their exact planned route and their return time, stick to your planned intentions, and have the Sea Rescue emergency phone number stored in their phones.

Bathers should go to beaches when and where lifeguards are on duty and swim within the demarcated safe swimming zones posted by the lifeguards on beaches.

Anglers should never turn their back on the sea while fishing from the shore and be aware of and stay well clear of the high water mark especially during the Spring tide.

Children should have responsible adult supervision around all water whether it is swimming pools, the sea, rivers, dams, lakes or even pools of water collected from storm rain.

Alcohol should not be consumed when embarking on water activities.

It is strongly advised that people witnessing someone in trouble in water do not try to rescue the victim themselves but call the emergency services and stay on the scene so that you can pin point, to the arriving rescue teams, the exact location of the person or persons in difficulty.