Onlookers stopped and looked on in disbelief as several surfers took to the high waves in the sea near to Bridlington South Pier this morning.
A passer by, who did not wish to be named, said: “This is utter madnesss… they may have wetsuits but the waves run straight up to the sea walls and the impact from being pushed by huge waves into a huge solid object could easily injure or even kill someone in the water.”
A spokesman from Bridlington Coastguard Team said “ The team from Bridlington were notified to investigate reports of surfers in possible difficulty close to the South Pier. It was soon confirmed that all surfers were in fact safe and well and on this occasion and no assistance was required.”
“We always ask members of the public to be sensible and prepared when carrying out any water sports activities. Whilst we will always respond to reports of persons requiring assistance, it is frustrating that this incident was avoidable and that concern was raised due to the gale force winds caused by this current storm. This could have taken the team away from dealing with a real emergency.” they added.
“If you do see someone who requires assistance at the coast dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.”
A boat owner who has a vessel moored in Bridlington harbour said:”That area of water is very unpredictable at the best of times. There are currents going around in all directions during normal conditions, let alone during a gale force storm as we have seen today. One rouge wave could be a disaster.”
This comes after the RNLI put out numerous warnings yesterday and today about the dangers of the sea.
The RNLI urged people to take extra care as strong winds and large seas are expected during Storm Arwen.
With high winds and large seas the RNLI is urging people to exercise extreme caution if visiting the shoreline, especially along exposed cliffs, seafronts and piers. The charity is asking people not to take unnecessary risks – breaking waves can easily sweep you off your feet and out to sea.
‘While stormy conditions may be tempting to watch, it is important to remember the sea is very dangerous and unpredictable and big waves can easily knock you off your feet. We would urge people to stay well back from the edge to avoid being swept in by large waves crashing over rocks and piers. As well as the risk of being swept into the sea, large waves can often undermine cliff edges and make them unstable. If you think someone is in danger, please dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.’
