Don't Drink and Drown!

MCA Issue Safety Warning - Dont drink and drown

By Neil Mearn's - Sunderland Echo Martime Correspondent

Coastguards are calling time on drinkers who put themselves and rescuers in danger by taking to the water after consuming too much alcohol. In its hard-hitting Don’t drink and drown summer campaign, aimed at those who participate in swimming, sailing or other waterborne activities, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has produced thousands of beer mats for distribution to waterfront pubs and bars. Each mat shows a graphic image of a person drowning and is intended to drive home the message that alcohol and water pursuits do not mix.

Chief Coastguard Peter Dymond said: We are trying to get the message across to anyone who wants to let their hair down during the summer that the warm evenings, coupled with excessive drinking, can lead to serious accidents or death.

It can be very hard for the emergency services to have to tell a family that their son or daughter has been seriously injured or worse, when we would rather they were enjoying a lovely holiday and going home safely. Our advice is to mix spirits and water only in a glass! Excessive alcohol impairs judgment and reaction times which can lead to tragic and often fatal accidents. Therefore, we are pleased to be launching this important safety drive to raise awareness in order to lessen the potential for alcohol related accidents on the coast and at sea.

Sunderland’s coastguards will be contributing to the national campaign by delivering beer mats to coastal licensed premises within their area, which stretches between the Tyne and Ryhope Dene.

Stuart McGill, MCA Tyne Sector Manager, said: It's not uncommon for members of the public to go skinny dipping after consuming alcohol, especially at this time of the year when the weather is warm.

However, the sea temperature off our coastline seldom rises above 12 degrees Centigrade. Alcohol, mixed with the coldness of the water, makes a person very vulnerable to succumbing to hypothermia. With this in mind, I would like to ask everyone to enjoy the good weather but, at the same time, respect the dangers of the sea and treat it with respect at all times.

According to figures from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Royal Life Saving Society, over 7,000 people drowned in the UK between 1989 and 2004. Alcohol contributed to at least 1,000 of these deaths.

Source - Sunderland Echo and South Shields Gazette