zip106

I know Matteeboy is down there, hope he's not involved.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-29779021

dpb

Unlucky, sounds like rip current. ( which just ferries you back out to sea )

Don't even notice these things windsurfing

ScoobyWon't

I was on the same beach last month. The RNLI were warning about rip-tides whilst I was there. People were even surfing there once it was dark. RIP.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

I'm sure he's fine, he's a fit lad and probably knows not to fight it.

RIP and condolences to their families.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

I wonder if those poor people were surfers or were they just playing on those white expanded polystyrene body boards? Being leashed to a surfboard it is difficult to get into real trouble as in effect you are attached to a small boat. But surfers are used to pulling people out of trouble who have been swept away on those white boards you can buy in garages. No leashes on them and very dangerous in the wrong conditions. A very sad outcome.

dpb

Matee is way too awesome for this to have happened

CrisPDuk

Mattee is a local, they were saying on the news that the deceased were tourists.

I don't think he's in his 40s either

zip106

Two of them are from St Austell, the 3rd from Newcastle.

Turbohot

And the kids that were rescued as 'walking wounded' are 18, 16 and one 15.

The St. Austell adults were 40+ with the Leeds/NC man being in his 50's.

I think our Matthew was 39 until last year. He must be 40-41 by now, but not 44. That's why I think he and his family are safe.

Very tragic for the ones involved and their surviving loved ones.

shytorque

I think someone said Maty boy is in Elevenorife at the moment...
I may be wrong...

dpb

Lol

hodgy0_2

Mattee surfs at Polzeath, I doubt he would bother driving for 45 mins, when he is a 5 min walk away from his local break

zip106

Well pardon me for possibly thinking about the welfare of someone I hardly know.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

You're clearly no surfer!

hodgy0_2

Lol, I just meant I doubt the conditions at Mawgan Porth would be that different to Polzeath to warrant a trip

And no I don't Surf but I do Winsdurf and have travelled from as far apart as Maui and Tiree to find the best conditions, so I appreciate the concept of traveling to the conditions

Anyway very sad for all involved - the massive storms over last winter have changed the underwater beach profile on quite a few north Cornish beaches, it has taken the local surfers a while to work out the new rip currents

Paben

iTrader: (5)

Surfers use the rips for an easier ride out the back, non surfers tend to fight the rips and are dragged out to sea. A very sad outcome for these poor people.

dpb

Tbh, it looked quite fierce generally on the box anyway

Always tempting though, especially if you're time constraint

ScoobyWon't

The owner of the site I stay at in Mawgan Porth was telling me how much the beach had changed since the storms hit at the start of the year. His estimate was that the beach had dropped about 15' from the previous summer, but the sand was slowly returning. I certainly didn't recall there being a large stretch of stones and rocks across the middle of the beach the year before.


Whilst I was there in September, the RNLI were trying to raise funds on the beach, by hosting a sand castle building competition and shaking collection tins. The on-duty life guards were saying how much it costs to run the day to day operations of the RNLI and that they needed more money to be able to provide the service which was already in place. They guard we spoke to was also saying how the storms had badly affected the water at Mawgan Porth. This summer, they seemed to me that they were being a lot more zealous in monitoring the water and the water users. A lot of people are saying it was avoidable, and that life guards would have made a difference, and that it should be manned at half term, but where's it going to stop? Mawgan Porth is also busy over Chritmas and New Year, should it be manned on that holiday too?

There are signs up on the entrance to the beach which warn of the dangers and state when life guards are on duty, I know that as I've read them. I feel for those who lost loved-ones and those children who were rescued must be going through hell, but I don't see how blaming the RNLI is going to help either set of victims.

Paben

iTrader: (5)

In the off season year-round life guards would be on duty on a completely empty beach for days at a time. But the best waves in Cornwall occur mostly in the winter. It's usually cold, there's no sign of lifeguards and experienced surfers very rarely need them. The trouble starts when the inexperienced paddle out into surf conditions that they can't deal with. If they are lucky a surfer pulls them out otherwise they are on their own.

Matteeboy

Still alive...

A very tragic incident - I used to surf there a lot and it's a dangerous beach but often has great waves. It needs serious respect; the awful thing about this is that they were all helping others.

I surfed on my own in the middle of an estuary (nearby) in amazing waves on Saturday - that was pretty spooky. Loads of good waves here recently which is nice.

Still enjoying the car, the van finally got fixed after 9 WEEKS in the dealership.

Oh and I'm a mere THIRTY NINE!!

Dingdongler

Good to hear you're well Mattee.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

Nice to see your back and all is well.

Matteeboy

Thanks all; I wonder how long before I make an **** of myself again and have to scurry away... a month?

Anyway for anyone using the sea, rips are potential killers - always beware, even when there isn't much surf.

dpb

Shouldn't you just swim like mad parallel with the beach!

Matteeboy

Just swim across it - they can go in any direction. But some can be very "wide" so hard to get out of.

neil-h

I can appreciate the appeal but surely that's a bit daft given the conditions.

Matteeboy

I know the area extremely well and had three exit points planned just in case; luckily I didn't need them. There are also plenty of walkers about who would spot a rubber clad gimp flailing about if something went wrong.

It was pushing it a bit but I've surfed in far more scary conditions; sometimes the risks suddenly get a bit high so you paddle in. Double overhead at a very heavy South NZ reef was probably high on the "brick myself" scale as was going out in SW France in double overhead only for it to suddenly pick up to triple overhead; much swearing then not far off crying as we desperately tried to get back in.

But peoole do much more loony things than those; I'm not all that brave compared to some nutters.

neil-h

Fair enough. I used to do a lot of white water kayaking and we were always told groups of 3. Simply because if 1 person got injured you had 1 for first aid and the other to get help if necessary.

Matteeboy

Definitely sensible but occasionally my mates are all working while I sneak off for a surf... Just surfed a secret and very heavy spot with a mate - scary but a lot of fun!

njkmrs

Mates???