Big retailers to carry new safety advice after paddleboarder's death in Cornwall
We can reveal updated guidance is being created to help those buying a board after Simon Flynn drowned
Last updated 23rd Aug 2021
Retailers and a sports' governing body have agreed to introduce changes to the information provided to people buying a new paddleboard after the death of a holidaymaker in Cornwall.
42-year-old Simon Flynn drowned last Summer when his ankle leash got trapped under a boat mooring in the Camel Estuary.
The competent swimmer, who did a lot of water sports and surfing, was unable to get free after the leash became entangled and pulled him under the water.
Best friend Sam Foyle believes Simon would have survived if he was wearing a quick-release waist belt.
We have been helping raise awareness of Sam's campaign to get both types of leashes sold as standard.
At the moment most paddleboards just come with an ankle leash and there is also differing advice online about the different leashes and when to wear them.
We arranged for a meeting between Sam and Lee Pooley from British Canoeing (governing body), which is now updating its guidance on leashes and producing a new infographic for retailers to display...
During the inquest into Simon's death, the coroner suggested what happened was an 'issue for manufacturers' that should be looked at.
British Canoeing say Decathlon, Lidl, Cotswolds and Aquaplanet have all agreed to highlight the updated advice once the new official guidance is released in the coming weeks. It is hoped other retailers will follow suit.
Best friend Sam said: "The overall cost of a quick release belt is somewhere between £15 and £25 and that's just buying them individually.
"When you're talking of a 'cheap' board at £300 and a high-end board at £1,500 the scale of that and the importance of it, I think voids it (the cost) into insignificance really."
Sam says Simon would have 'hated' for something similar to happen to anyone else.
He believes manufacturers and retailers will listen to British Canoeing once guidance is updated and issued, welcoming their efforts to make the sport safer.
British Canoeing have published some updated leash guidance on their website after reviewing the existing information over the past few weeks.
Head of Safety Lee Pooley said: "We've seen a significant increase in the amount of people taking to the waters on stand up paddleboards.
"What we've seen over the last several months is that people's understanding of what leash they should be wearing needs more work on it".