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The Stats Around Coastal Drownings Among Men Are Truly Shocking

The Stats Around Coastal Drownings Among Men Are Truly Shocking

Very alarming, indeed.

Anonymous

Anonymous

There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and never being able to predict the British weather. The latter goes some way to explaining why even the smallest ray of sunshine always means that shorts go on and things go off.

When the sun comes out it, positive vibes and optimism come with it, working as a psychological stimulant, evoking pre-pubescent hopes and dreams often abandoned in those murkier months. Or something along those lines anyway.

If there's one town in the UK that embodies this spirit of summer most, it's Newquay. An end-of-year paradise that manages to marry all the thrift and thrill of a visit to Camden Market with a sun-soaked surf shack lifestyle you've only seen on the O.C. Well, maybe not quite that idyllic but a good laugh, nonetheless.

British beach
British beach

But while Newquay is synonymous with everything that is great about summer, its local community has been forced to deal with a number of tragic drownings in recent years, most commonly because people have been caught out by the dangerously unpredictable nature of the surrounding coastline.

Anthony Miller was well-known in Newquay and he grew up on its beaches. When he wasn't working as a local roofer, he was riding his BMX at the Wooden Waves skatepark or walking his dogs, Shania and Buster, through the town. People knew him. In the local nightclubs he was known for his humour, the occasional backflip and his signature crip walk.

"He worked hard, played hard, and just enjoyed himself" his mother, Tracey, remembers.

In October 2014, Anthony and his friends were partying at his flat. He'd been drinking when he and a friend dared each other to skinny dip in the sea at nearby Towan Beach. Running down the beach they left a trail of clothes in their wake and waded into the sea, wearing only their socks.

Even at chest height the tide was fast and his friend decided to turn back. Anthony, however, carried on and when his friend made it to shore he looked back, only to find Anthony was gone. He had vanished, taken out by a turbulent rip current. Anthony was found shortly after by the coastguard and despite receiving CPR, and being taken to the hospital by air ambulance, he couldn't be revived. He was 23-years-old.

Cornwall beach
Cornwall beach

What makes Anthony's story even more uncomfortable to digest is that it was far from a rare occurrence. Last year alone, 168 people lost their lives as a result of misjudging the potential risks of the water in the UK. 84 percent of these deaths were male.

In light of these alarming figures, we recently met with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to understand how we can work alongside one another in order to help address these issues. Given how male-dominated RNLI response stats are, we think it's a subject that needs all of our attention. We want to cover topics that impact each and every one of us, so we're joining forces with RNLI and supporting their 'Respect The Water' campaign this summer. The main focus of this initiative is to raise awareness of its potential dangers.

It turns out drowning is not simply a result of getting out of your depth while swimming, falling off fancy yachts or hardened fishermen going over the side far out at sea. Over half of those who lost their lives at the coast in 2015 did not set out to go into the water that day. In fact, slips, trips and falls while out for a walk or a run contributed to this sizeable death toll more than anything else.

RNLI Lifeguards
RNLI Lifeguards

Respecting the water doesn't mean fearing it - we'll still be enjoying a beer at the seaside or sat by the local canal. But we're going to strive to give more consideration to our surroundings when out and about in the sun - not just for Anthony and the others who passed away tragically, but also the 385 additional people who might have died were they not rescued by the RNLI last year.

The ambition of the RNLI is to halve the amount of coastal drownings in the UK and Ireland by 2024. They know that not everyone can be saved but, working together, our aim is to ensure fewer tragedies. Let's remember that, just like the weather, the water can be dangerously unpredictable.

If you, or any of your friends, have a story to share about your own experiences of struggle in British waters please contact [email protected]

Keep a look out for more about Respect The Water throughout the summer or go to www.rnli.org/RespectTheWater to find out more.

Tracey Miller will be raising awareness around the dangers of rip tides this summer with a poster campaign using the slogan: RIP Tides Kill.

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Topics: rnli