Lifeguard Review After Surfers Die In Cornwall
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A review will look into whether lifeguards should work during the autumn half-term at a Cornish beach where three surfers died.
05:15, UK,
Monday 27
October 2014
Sea rescue services have said a risk
assessment will be carried out to determine whether lifeguard cover
should be extended at a beach in Cornwall where three surfers died.
Officers were called by the Coastguard after reports that
four children and three adults were caught in a rip current off Mawgan
Porth beach, Newquay, on Sunday.
Two surfers recovered from the sea were given CPR at the scene
The victims, who have not been named, were taken to Treliske for treatment but were pronounced dead in hospital.
A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "The four children were all located safe and well on shore but the three adults were recovered from the water.
"Two of those recovered from the water were given CPR at the scene. The three casualties were transferred to hospital by the rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose and both the Devon and Cornwall air ambulances."
The surfers were caught in a rip tide while surfing off Mawgan Porth beach
She said air ambulances, a search and rescue helicopter, police and rapid response vehicles were all deployed to the scene.
Air ambulances and a search and rescue helicopter were deployed
But it explained that there would have been "clear signs" indicating the lack of lifeguard cover for beachgoers.
A RNLI spokeswoman said: "We position lifeguards at certain beaches during the summer months and at other times that we think will be busy during the year.
"A risk assessment is carried out and agreed with the local council and authorities, whoever is responsible for the beach.
"That risk assessment is decided by taking into account the number of users, the type of users, the topography of the area - how the waves fall there - and the proximity of other rescue services.
"Every season an assessment is carried out to see what lifeguards there should be on every beach.
"I am sure we will take into account visitor numbers at Mawgan Porth during half term and once we know what happened today it will form part of the review into whether we need to extend lifeguard cover there."
Gareth Horner, lifeboat operations manager, said: "Mawgan Porth is a dangerous beach. We don't know the exact circumstances or the ability of the people that were rescued today.
"My understanding is that they were in two groups and that one of the casualties actually entered the sea to assist other people who were in trouble."
Police said the woman and the man in his 40s were from Cornwall, while the third victim was from outside the force's area.
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