Press Notice No: Duty Notice 2
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Posted 17:36 GMT

On a clear and warm day at Sharrow Point in Devon Brixham Coastguard were alerted at just before 3.00 pm to a man from Honicknowle in Plymouth, in his early 20s`tombstoning off the Point into three feet of water.

He jumped from about 25 foot and suffered a spinal injury in the shallow depth of water. Sharrow lifeguards carried the individual up the beach whilst a rescue helicopter was being called. His condition was described as serious and he was slipping in and out of consciousness. There was no feeling to his legs. It was also reported on scene that he had been drinking heavily before endeavoring to jump.

The Tamar Coastguard Rescue Team were summoned on scene and cleared the area allowing the helicopter to evacuate the man to hospital strapped to a spinal board.

Dave Scullion, Watch Manager at Brixham Coastguard said

This is one way to ruin not only a pleasant afternoon for yourself, but very possibly the rest of your life.

Tombstoning is madness whichever way you look at it. An individual has no real idea whats under the water they are jumping in and the tidal flows alter the depth of water dramatically. What can have been 8 or 9 feet earlier may have been dramatically reduced within a couple of hours.

We know from bitter experience of treating casualties that a couple of hours work for concerned lifeguards and Coastguards and a helicopter crew can turn into a lifetime of pain for the individual and years of treatment from the NHS.



Posted By: Mark Clark

For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401