What happened to personal responsibility

[fallen-archie]

Just been watching the national news which featured an item about a group of young men who died whilst playing volleyball at Camber Sands, they drowned having become stranded by tides. The coroner has said that the local authority had a duty of care and had failed! Why? Whatever happened to common sense, we are constantly being brought up in an environment which expects others to look after us from cradle to the grave. Call me old fashioned but surely life lessons are far more valuable than being wet nursed wherever one goes, but then I suppose where there is blame there's a claim.

[023mjc]

I fail to see what care the local authority could have provided.  Does the coroner think the mayors name is Canute.

[cee-dee]

When I was a kid, I got cut off by the sea coming in behind the beach area I was on. I was with my parents (along with many other people). We had been at the waters edge and had been aware that the tide had turned but didn't realise that the shallow undulations of the beach behind us had filled with water and had a strong current.

We were alerted to the danger by a chap on horseback who was charging up and down the beach calling for people to head back towards the shore.

I don't know if the chap on horseback was a "lifeguard" or from the local authority but it certainly prevented a more difficult return to shore which for me meant returning through water up to my neck with sand under my feet that "gave way" if you stopped walking (it was the current undermining the sand).

I'm guessing that the Camber Sands beach had similar "shallow undulations" that, when the tide was out, didn't seem like anything untoward or dangerous.

[j_uk643]

I recall someone taking 'full responsibility' for a certain board in an anonymous ID, about midnight, but half an hour later, that 'full responsibility' had also gorn lol

[suzieseaside]

Apparently Rother Council requested lifeguards last August after 2 people drowned, but the RNLI didn't have the resources or manpower at the time.  So I'm not sure the Council can be blamed unless there are no warning signs on this beach which has seen a few accidents over the years. Apparently after last year's drownings there are lifeguards there this summer. 

Are coastal councils expected to pay out compensation for people who are not watching the environment they are in and fail to see that the tide is coming in behind them?

People need to be educated at an early age about the dangers of the sea and the fact that the tide comes in and out.  Around here tourists sometimes have to be rescued when they walk around the base of steep cliffs at low tide and then seem surprised that they get cut off when the tide comes in!   Maybe some public broadcasts on TV might make some people think before going far offshore or walking around cliffs..

There are tragic drowning accidents every year around our coasts but it's impractical to have warning signs everywhere, and some  occur when there are visible signs but people choose to ignore them.  The sea is not a paddling pool and people should be aware of potential dangers in the sea just as they are aware that crossing the road can be dangerous.