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RNLI to review lifeguard cover after death of three surfers in Newquay Newquay surfer deaths: RNLI to review lifeguard cover
(about 1 hour later)
Sea rescue services said that a review will look into whether lifeguards should work during the autumn half-term at a beach where three people died in a surfing tragedy. Lifeguard cover is to be reviewed at a popular beach in Cornwall after two men and a woman died on Sunday while surfing off a stretch of the coast that is not monitored this late in the year.
Two men and one woman died at after they and four children got into difficulty off Mawgan Porth beach, Newquay, in Cornwall. The pair were caught in a rip current off Mawgan Porth beach near Newquay at about 1.30pm on Sunday. Four children, who also got into difficulty, were rescued.
The adults were taken unconscious from the sea and taken to Treliske for treatment in a serious condition but were later pronounced dead in hospital. The adults were taken unconscious from the sea and taken to Treliske for treatment in a serious condition and were later pronounced dead in hospital. Two of the three recovered from the water were given CPR at the scene before they were airlifted to hospital. The victims have not yet been formally identified and police are still contacting next of kin.
Police said the woman and one of the men who died were both in their 40s and from Cornwall. Police said the woman and one of the men who died were both in their 40s and from Cornwall. The second man was in his 50s and was from outside the police force’s area. A spokesman said his family has been contacted.
The second man was in his 50s and was from outside the police force’s area. A spokesman said his family has been contacted. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) confirmed that lifeguards patrol the Mawgan Porth beach from March to September and that lack of cover is clearly stated in signs on the beach. A spokeswoman told Sky News: “We position lifeguards at certain beaches during the summer months and at other times that we think will be busy during the year.”
The victims have not yet been formally identified and police are still contacting next of kin. She revealed that a “risk assessment” would be carried out with other rescue services and local authorities that would consider extending lifeguard patrol at the beach into the autumn half-term holiday. “That risk assessment is decided by taking into account the number of users, the type of users, the topography of the area - how the waves fall there - and the proximity of other rescue services, she said.
Inspector Dave Meredith of Devon and Cornwall police said the four survivors had “managed to get out of the sea”. A spokeswoman for the South Western ambulance service said: “Four patients were what we describe as walking wounded. They were taken to the Royal Cornwall hospital.” “I am sure we will take into account visitor numbers at Mawgan Porth during half-term and once we know what happened today it will form part of the review into whether we need to extend lifeguard cover there.”
She said emergency services were called to the beach around 1.30pm on Sunday after receiving several 999 calls saying seven people had been caught in a “rip tide”. On Sunday an air and sea rescue mission was launched after onlookers spotted a group of seven, including four children, in difficulty in the water.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said that lifeguards man Mawgan Porth beach from March to September and confirmed there would have been no one patrolling there on Sunday. Supt Jim Pearce, of Devon and Cornwall police, said: “This is a tragic incident and our condolences go out to the families of those involved. Along with the other emergency services we are now working to ascertain the full circumstances of this incident and our priority is to contact the families of those involved and offer all the support we can.”
But it explained that there would have been “clear signs” indicating the lack of lifeguard cover for beachgoers. Locals said there were rough seas along the coast on Sunday afternoon. Peter Abell, owner of the Kingsurf surf school at Mawgan Porth, which was not involved in the incident, said some currents were “slightly more dangerous than usual” but conditions were “not as bad” as they could be. “The waves were bigger, they were quite big. And it wasn’t the safest of days to be in the sea,” he said. “But it wasn’t particularly dangerous. There were lots of safe places to be and they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
A spokeswoman for the RNLI said: “We position lifeguards at certain beaches during the summer months and at other times that we think will be busy during the year. A risk assessment is carried out and agreed with the local council and authorities, whoever is responsible for the beach. That risk assessment is decided by taking into account the number of users, the type of users, the topography of the area – how the waves fall there – and the proximity of other rescue services. Abell said beaches were always changing, adding: “You can never predict this.” Describing the scene as emergency services started to arrive, he said: “I’ve never seen so many police cars and coastguards arrive at the beach before. Everyone was standing around the beach going: ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ There were two helicopters and three lifeboats … so we knew it was a big deal as soon as we saw that.”
“Every season an assessment is carried out to see what lifeguards there should be on every beach. I am sure we will take into account visitor numbers at Mawgan Porth during half-term, and once we know what happened it will form part of the review into whether we need to extend lifeguard cover there. I don’t know if Mawgan Porth received high visitor numbers [on Sunday], but there would have been clear signs that this was not a lifeguarded beach.” A spokesman at Merrymoor Inn, which overlooks the beach, praised the response of emergency services: “[They] were here incredibly quickly. It was out of this world. They brought some of them into the pub wrapped in blankets, but it is terrible what has happened.”
The spokeswoman said that RNLI lifeboats “on call 24/7” can launch within 10 minutes all year round. It is not known whether the group included experienced surfers. Inexperienced surfers can place themselves at risk in a rip current if they exhaust themselves swimming against the flow or panic.
And she added that protection for swimmers and surfers during the off-season is the same as after a summer 6pm cutoff point. Mawgan Porth is popular with surfers, who flock to the beach for waves known as Atlantic breakers, and with walkers following the idyllic coastal path.
Local councillor John Fitter said that his “personal sympathy” went to the families involved. “The autumn half-term is always busy because it’s the last opportunity for people to enjoy Cornwall before winter sets in,” he said. On the Visit Cornwall website, an entry for Mawgan Porth beach says: “A large west-facing beach with plenty of sand at high tide and popular with families. Backed by the steep headland cliffs, Mawgan Porth offers a sheltered stretch of beach halfway between Newquay and Padstow.”
“Having said that, we have never had an incident like yesterday’s tragedy at this time of the year. One’s heart goes out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We share their grief.”
Asked whether lifeguard cover should be extended to the autumn half-term, Fitter said there could be “no criticism of the RNLI at all”.
He said: “We have never had lifeguards here after the summer season and it is something that in the light of this tragedy we may wish to review. Everything has to be looked at it. But anybody going into the water at Mawgan Porth beach yesterday would have been aware that there were no lifeguards there.”