Stay safe at East Anglia beaches this bank holiday weekend
People are expected to flock to the coast to enjoy the unfamiliar sunshine
Last updated 29th May 2021
People visiting the East of England's beaches this bank holiday weekend are being asked to stay safe.
The RNLI is expecting the weekend, which then leads onto half term, to be busy as people try to make the most of the sunny weather.
Nick Ayers, Regional Water Safety Lead, said:
"We're really luck to have RNLI lifeguard-patrolled beaches at the main spots which are going live this weekend. If you are heading to the coast and you do want to enter the water, the water is still really cold so make sure you are prepared. Head to one of those lifeguarded beaches, check in with the lifeguards and swim between the red and yellow beaches."
The RNLI and HM Coastguard launched their joint summer beach safety campaign on Thursday (27 May), as they revealed they are expecting their busiest year on the coast yet.
According to a survey commissioned by RNLI, 75% of 16 to 64-year-olds plan to visit a beach this summer, with almost half of them planning to go more than three times.
Last year RNLI lifeguards recorded more than 15 million people visiting beaches across the UK, and with uncertainty around foreign travel it's expected to more like 30 million this year.
The RNLI is asking people to follow the safety advice below:
- Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags
- If you get into trouble, Float to Live - lie on your back, relax and resist the urge to thrash about
- Call 999 in an emergency and ask for the Coastguard
In 2020, RNLI lifeguards saved 110 lives across the country, helped 25,172 people, responded to 10,687 incidents and made more than 2.2 million preventative actions.