Drink dive warning

Last Modified: 11 May 2008
Source: ITN

Coastguards have warned of the dangers of "tombstoning" and swimming in the sea while drunk after a string of injuries.

A man in his 20s suffered a serious spinal injury when he jumped from a 25ft cliff at Sharrow Point in Devon on Saturday.

In a separate incident, a young couple had to be rescued after they drunkenly took to the sea near Poole, Dorset, in a dinghy without any oars on Sunday.

The tombstoner, from Plymouth, was rescued from the water by the Tamar Coastguard team then strapped to a spinal board and taken to hospital by a rescue helicopter

A Coastguard spokesman said witnesses saw him drinking heavily before making the jump.

Dave Scullion, watch manager at Brixham Coastguard, said: "This is one way to ruin not only a pleasant afternoon for yourself, but very possibly the rest of your life.

"Tombstoning is madness whichever way you look at it."

In the second incident, two lifeboats from Swanage launched a search after a friend reported the 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman missing at 3am.

The pair had set off in a wooden dinghy from Studland beach after drinking heavily.

Bruce Lack, watch manager at Portland Coastguard said: "Drink and stupidity played major parts in this incident with the two young people in serious danger of losing their lives as a result.

"From taking a boat with no oars to having no lifejackets or means of communication in the darkness in open sea is sheer madness fuelled by drink and bravado.

"We cannot stress enough how dangerous this kind of game can be, and that it is only at this time of year the sea is slightly warming, but not enough to put you beyond danger of severe hypothermia after prolonged immersion.

"The dulling of the senses by alcohol coupled with the cold shock of unexpectedly plunging into sea water can be a killer."

In a separate incident, a 20-year-old man suffered serious head injuries after falling or jumping from South Parade Pier in Southsea, Hampshire.

He was taken by air ambulance to hospital in a serious condition.

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