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Death warning to Whitby wave dodgers
THIS shocking picture shows the moment youngsters diced with death in dangerous waves close to where a teenager tragically got caught in a rip tide and died last week.
Horrified onlookers watched as youths played a game of wave dodging on the slipway next to Whitby's West Pier as high waves and strong winds battered the East coast on Sunday evening.
The incident comes just four days after 17-year-old James Willis was swept out to sea along with two girls close to Whitby's West Pier.
Rescuers battled to save him but he died later at Scarborough Hospital.
A concerned Whitby boat owner took this snap of the youngsters at around 7.30pm, one of whom appears to have been knocked off their feet by the swell.
He said: "The conditions were as bad as you see it in August.
"These kids were following the sea out and racing the tide back in.
"People without local knowledge will not realise the danger, they are just doing it for fun."
He alerted Scarborough Borough Council's harbour office and Whitby's volunteer coastguards, who were on the East side, and they roped off the area.
Police had to be called at around 8pm when coastguards became concerned for the safety of one man who refused to move from the West Pier in the stormy conditions, as huge waves crashed over the railings.
Officers arrived at the scene and gave him words of advice before moving him on.
The boat owner and others in the town are now calling for more signs to be erected to warn visitors about the dangers the sea can bring.
He said there is just one sign warning people of the risk of the sea currents but it is rusty and worn.
"There needs to be more signs and there needs to be more regulation," he added.
"The situation cannot be left as it is, it seriously wants looking at."
A spokesman for Whitby coastguard took the opportunity to warn visitors of the dangers of the sea.
"We need people to use common sense, and we especially ask parents with children to keep them back from the water's edge when the conditions are bad," he said.
"It is fine to look from a distance, but we don't want another tragic incident, there have been too many lately.
"We are not here to spoil the fun, but we need to keep people out of danger."
Scarborough Borough Council's head of technical services John Riby said: "As a responsible organisation, we are looking at signage again across the whole of the borough.
"Concerns raised by residents will form part of our considerations and any action required will be taken.
"We will continue to be vigilant.
"For example, we did feel the sea conditions and strong winds posed enough of a risk of people being knocked off their feet by breaking waves, to close the West Pier extensions in Whitby on Saturday at 10pm and the whole of the East Pier the following day until these conditions had passed.
"We take public safety extremely seriously and will always act if necessary, but people also have to exercise a degree of common sense and self-awareness with the prevailing conditions.
"The sea remains a massive draw, especially for visitors, but needs to be treated with respect."
* The funeral of James Willis, of Stockton, takes place on (Friday 3 September) at the River of Life Church in Lightfoot Grove, Stockton,
It will be followed by a cremation at Teesside Crematorium.
An investigation is now under way by police and health chiefs as to how the tragedy occurred as the youngsters were on an adult supervised trip.
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Weather for Whitby
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: -3 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 37 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 1 C to 6 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
