Safety during coastal activities

10 April 2020

This weekend, Islanders are asked to be sensible when engaging in coastal activities as part of their two hours of outside activity.

Islanders choosing to take part in open sea activities are advised to have one other person with them for safety reasons, provided that appropriate social distancing is maintained.

A Government spokesperson said: “There is no beach lifeguard service over the Easter period or until further notice, and while we understand that Islanders want to take the opportunity afforded by the good weather to engage in activities on the beach or sea we want to ensure they are done safely.”

The beaches remain open for people to exercise, and to walk their dogs, but care must be taken to stay at least two metres away from other members of the public. Islanders who are taking exercise on the beach are also asked to pay close attention to the large tides over the weekend, and to ensure they are not cut off by the incoming tide. The tide timetables can be found here.

The Harbourmaster, Bill Sadler, said: “I would ask people to act carefully when undertaking any water-based activity, and consider the kinds of risks their activity might bring. Be sensible, check the tide times and the weather, and also be aware that the sea is still very cold. People don’t intend to end up trouble, but when they do and need rescuing, it diverts resource away from the difficult task we have in hand because of the coronavirus”.