Norfolk's Water Safety Forum urge Water-sport enthusiasts to plan ahead and travel together
It comes after our RNLI have recorded a rise incidents where people have taken to the water alone and ended up requiring help
Norfolk's newly formed water safety forum are urging those trying their hand at an individual water sport, to plan ahead and not travel alone
It comes after our Royal National Lifeboat Institution have recorded a rise incidents where people have taken to the water alone and ended up requiring help from them or the coastguard.
Nick Ayers is our regional water safety lead for the RNLI.
He says it's vital that people take care when going to the coast:
"People just need to be a little bit more aware that they can get picked up by the wind quite quickly and off-shore winds are a huge factor in that. You can easily download weather and tide-time apps on your phone that will give you a bit more information prior to your arrival to that location.
I think over the last couple of years people who have looked at different activities and more social-distanced activities that they can get involved in to enjoy the water. They are stand-up paddle boarding, dipping and open water swimming- great activities to enjoy the water and the fantastic areas around Norfolk but it's all about knowing how to stay safe while enjoying these activities".
Greg Preston is from Norfolk Fire and Rescue, a key partner in the group.
He's optimistic about what the Forum can achieve:
"Different agencies have different levels of responsibility. Working in a multi-agency way we can broaden our reach to get as much reach out there as possible. But it's also about the type of messaging we get, so individual agencies like the RNLI, have got their own areas of specialism and can all bring that forwards to the public, to get that safety message out there".
The multi-group organisation is also urging those going to the coast to take 'cold water shock' more seriously.
Saying that while the weather's getting warmer, that doesn't mean the water will be and there's fears the RNLI and coastguard will have to deal with rising number of call-outs.
Michelle Lowe is from Norfolk Fire and has been getting into cold water everyday in March to raise money and awareness about the issue:
"We experienced it when we first started. Although we wanted to get in, as we were walking in it takes your breath away. Luckily we were at a level of water, where we didn't breathe it in but if we'd of fallen in and that reaction had have happened, you could have so easily breathed the water in and taken it into your lungs".