9 June 2010
Kevin Stewart and Paul Johnson from Shoreham Port linked up with HM Coastguard and the RNLI to deliver a safety message to pupils from the local senior school 'Shoreham Academy'. The port has issued a call for people to realise the dangers associated with water and activities such as jumping, or "tombstoning" into water of unknown depth after coming across teenagers carrying out the perilous activity over weekends and during the recent half term break.
Paul Johnson, Health and Safety Manager said: "Shoreham Port takes its safety obligations very seriously and ensures that all hazards and associated risks are identified so that relevant control measures can be put in place such as adequate warning signage and barriers. We also have a dedicated harbour patrol team and vessel patrolling the port throughout the weekends and school summer holiday periods".
Kevin Stewart, Assistant Harbour Master said: ' The Port of Shoreham has a duty of care to ensure shipping and all waterbourne craft have a safe passage in and out of the harbour and the harbour arms and entrance are not a playground. Some young people regard 'tombstoning' as an extreme sport, but in reality it is a very dangerous practice, and can lead to permanent injury, paralysis or worse'.
Shoreham Port fully endorses the MCA campaign 'Think before you Jump'. HM Coastguard Link Tombstoning
HM Coastguard said 'These youths do not seem to understand the serious risks associated with jumping into shallow water that has numerous underwater obstructions. Regrettably, it seems that someone must get severely injured before they are prepared to take notice'.
