WIREDGOV

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has launched a new radio safety advert warning young people about the dangers of tombstoning.

The new radio filler is part of an ongoing campaign advising against the madness of tombstoning by Her Majesty’s Coastguard following a spate of deaths from the activity in the last few years.

Coastguard Sector Manager Ross Greenhill said,

“Sadly, we are dealing with deaths or injuries from this activity on a regular basis and we’d like to see far fewer devastated families. The campaign aims to raise awareness amongst young people about the risks involved in tombstoning. Some of the people who have been badly injured tell us they just didn’t know how dangerous it can be.”

Nick Biddlecombe, a tombstoning victim who is permanently wheelchair bound after a devastating spinal injury when he was 17 years old said in an interview,

“We’d all go down there, but none of us had the intention of jumping; seeing who could prove that they were the bigger man really. I was bet 50p and a cigarette that I wouldn’t jump first, so I did.”

Recalling what happened after the jump went wrong he said,

“I remember waking up under the water, I tried to move my arms and my legs to swim up and I couldn’t”

To hear the radio filler visit www.mcga.gov.uk and go to Tombstoning in Leisure and Seaside. To obtain a broadcast quality copy of the tombstoning radio filler by the MCA contact Leila Dastyar at COI on 0207 2618481 or Leila.Dastyar@coi.gsi.gov.uk Background Tombstoning is jumping or diving from a height into water. It has been in the media a lot recently as it is becoming a more common pursuit for groups of teenagers, who put themselves at great risk by jumping from piers, harbour walls and cliffs into the sea. Since 2005, Coastguards have dealt with 10 deaths and 36 serious injuries from Tombstoning. (This does not include inland incidents or accidents where the Coastguard is not informed.)