The National Sea Rescue Institute on Tuesday warned that drownings and capsizing of boats were most likely to occur during spring tides expected on July 1.
It was concerned that with the school holidays, children angling from rocks, boating or bathing, were at great risk of being swept out to sea, spokesman Craig Lambinon said in a statement.
Data showed that during the few days of the spring tide, particularly at river mouths and at harbour entrances, boats were at risk of capsizing.
Spring tide occurs twice a month, every month of the year, around in the world. It peaks on the day of the full moon and again on the day of the new moon, causing a higher than normal high tide and a lower than normal low tide.
The spring tides were known to cause the rip currents, which could be compounded by rough seas in winter.
FURTHER ADVICE:
The South African coastline experiences extremely strong rip-currents throughout the year and bathers should exercise caution at all times as rip-currents are the greatest cause of drowning accidents around our coastline.
The Spring Tide at new moon and again at full moon, twice every month, bring the strongest rip currents and bathers and anglers should exercise extreme caution during the Spring Tide.
Children between the ages of 9 and 14 are statistically at greatest risk to drowning accidents (according to statistics by the Medical Research Council) and children should have responsible adult supervision around water – swimming pools, dams, rivers, lagoons and the coast – at all times.
Boaters and paddlers should wear life-jackets at all times while on our waters, carry safety equipment and always let a responsible person know what time you are leaving, your exact route and your expected time of arrival. Stick to your route and check-in with the responsible person on your safe return.
SA Lifesaving are urging bathers to go to beaches only where and when lifeguards are on duty. Identify where the lifeguards are on the beach. Swim only between the safe swimming zones posted by lifeguards, using red and yellow flags, on the beach each day. Lifeguards will move the safe swimming zones regularly throughout the day (depending on where they detect the strongest rip-currents to be) and bathers should heed to the lifeguards requests to move to swim between these flags.
Don’t venture too deep into the water and children should have a responsible person watching over them while they are swimming.
Apply sunscreen regularly, wear a hat, drink plenty of water regularly to hydrate and know where your children are at all times.
Anglers should wear life-jackets while angling. There is the ever present risk of being swept off rocks by waves while angling and we urge anglers to be extremely cautious and never turn your back on the sea.
Avoid alcohol consumption if you are going boating or swimming.
Everyone should have planned emergency procedures that can kick in when an emergency develops.
[Info from NSRI.org.za]
Also view:
