Over four hundred pupils from Pembroke Dock and Milford Haven have been learning about water safety and the dangers of tombstoning.
The annual WAVE events were held during June with Year 7 pupils from Ysgol Harri Tudur enjoying a day of workshops at Llanion Cove outdoor adventure centre and Milford Haven School pupils learning important lifesaving skills on site.
Workshops were delivered by the Port of Milford Haven, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Pembrokeshire County Council’s Youth Service, the RNLI and the team from Llanion Cove covering topics such as cold water shock, how to contact the emergency services, peer pressure, anti-social behaviour and underwater hazards.
During the warm weather, large numbers of young people often congregate around Milford Marina and Hakin Point to jump into the water – an extremely dangerous activity that goes against the Port’s byelaws and can lead to prosecution with a fine of up to £50 in the magistrates courts. As well as being a busy shipping, fishing and leisure area, there can be many hidden dangers such as sharp submerged objects, strong currents and cold water shock.
Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port, Niall Yeomans, said:
“Tombstoning is prohibited in these areas to protect members of the public from injuring themselves or worse.
“I cannot stress enough how dangerous this activity is and it’s purely down to luck that no-one has sustained a life changing injury over the years.
“We have also had reports of trespassing at Wards Yard, access to which is strictly prohibited as it is extremely hazardous. There are plenty of locations around the Milford Haven Waterway and Pembrokeshire to safely enjoy the water which we wholeheartedly encourage as we live in a beautiful part of the country.”
Libby Talbot and Andrew Lowe from the RNLI Water Safety Team ran practical exercises in how to make a 999 call to the coastguard which was followed by a role play rescue by pupils.
Libby said:“The RNLI workshop is designed to take away the fear of the unknown if young people find themselves in a situation on or near the water when they have to make an emergency call.”
