tombstoning.com

A 19-year-old man has died after falling from rocks into the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales.

See BBC News.

Shallow water is frequently the cause of serious injury while tombstoning, but in this case it was the climb back up the rocks that resulted in Joel Scott falling and suffering fatal head and back injuries.

The climb back out of the water after a successful jump can be just as dangerous as the jump itself.

If this is a first jump in a particular area then make sure you have carried out a good check of the water depth and your exit route (see checking the water below in the safety section). Having done this you should know the climb out of the water is possible, and you can get back to a safe point once your first jump is complete.

In this incident it looks like Joel had been jumping from the same spot for some time and it could have been a slip due to tiredness that caused him to fall. Jumping in to the water can be the easiest bit; it’s the climb back out that requires more planning and a better understanding of your fitness and ability.

These pictures show how easy it can be to get in to the water, but once there a 40ft climb is required to get you back to the same spot. You need to be sure you are ready for that climb before every jump.

Is tombstoning a breach of the peace? It would appear so after a teenager at Needle’s E’e near Arbroath on Saturday was rescued by the RNLI then charged.

The BBC News article doesn’t give enough detail to fully understand the reasoning for the charge, but if you compare this incident with another one that was in the news recently (and I was aware of due to its close proximity to where I live) it suggests that the act of tombstoning is the reason for the charge.

Both incidents involved the water, and a rescue effort. So how is the decision made to “ask people to be more careful and be prepared” when they crash a boat in to a 1000ft long pier, throwing one person in to the sea and resulting in head injuries; then charge a teenager with breach of the peace for jumping in to the sea and getting in to difficulty?

It appears clear that this charge has been made to send a message to everyone that tombstoning should not be tolerated. You are of course welcome to get in to serious trouble in the sea on a surfboard, kiteboard, jet-ski or in a boat and feel safer knowing you will be rescued and asked to be more careful next time.

The Court of Appeal defined a breach of the peace as being ‘an act done or threatened to be done which either actually harms a person, or in his presence, his property, or is likely to cause such harm being done’.

source: yourrights.org.uk