Following the deaths of six holiday makers this summer at Camber Sands, Rother District Council (RDC) agreed (not, it seemed, without some reluctance) to provide RNLI lifeguards on the beach for the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays.
Now a petition calling for permanent lifeguard cover during the holiday season has reached over 8,200 signatures.
RDC, well known for being reluctant to spend money anywhere except in Bexhill, now states that the question of lifeguards for next year is under review and no decision has yet been made.
Says RDC: “In light of recent tragic events and the changing profile of visitors to the beach, we are in the process of reviewing and considering all options for next year, including the provision of a lifeguard service.”
The RNLI who would once again provide the service, have confirmed that they have been in contact with RDC but that no decision has yet been made with regard to providing lifeguards for 2017.
At present there is a beach patrol, a coastguard presence and, at certain times, a police presence under Operation Radcott. However all these, while able to provide information, will only deal with land-based issues and none are trained lifesavers. It is recognised by RDC that the demographic of Camber is changing with greater numbers of visitors who are not familiar with sea side holidays and may therefore not be aware of potential dangers.
Photo: library photo
Image Credits: BBC .
It has occurred to me that one idea is to have a siren or something of that ilk to be set off when the tide turns to come back in again. Even if no one has read the notices that this is happening surely it would make people stop and look around them. If this noise carried on at appropriate intervals until the major sandbanks are submerged the problem of people being caught out on an island of sand would surely diminish.
As a resident of Camber I would not like this sound but prefer that the sound of air sea rescue helicopters, sirens from Police and the throb of the RNLI Boats.