If you haven’t seen it already, this is the video uploaded by a group of friends travelling around Scotland tombstoning, which has been in the news recently and branded as a ‘map’ of jumping sites.
Having watched the video I think they give a good account of themselves; wearing wetsuits, life vests and sometimes helmets. During the 8 minute clip they can also be seen with flippers and goggles, checking out the areas they are jumping in to.
The video, inspired by the award winning Gravity Chasers is just another example of people doing something they enjoy, but understanding it can be dangerous and doing what they can to minimise the risks.
tombstoning.com has been contacted by BBC News in Sunderland who are looking for local tombstoners who feel they understand the risks and continue to safely tombstone on the North East coast.
I’m doing a report for BBC News in the Sunderland area this week. We’re talking about Tombstoning and I’d really like to talk to people who do it and believe it CAN be done safely, so long as you know what you’re doing. Is there anybody from the North East that can talk to us?
Fiona Trott
If you are an avid tombstoner and want to have your say on it with the BBC please contact fiona.trott@bbc.co.uk
Last Tuesday we were joined by Debbie (Randle), Andy and Vanessa from Radio 1 Newsbeat as they were excited about creating a piece on tombstoning for Radio 1 and the Newsbeat website.
It wasn’t the best day for film and radio work as the ‘British summer’ blessed us with high winds and light showers, but after many delays (Newsbeat originally wanted to join us last summer but we couldn’t arrange a date everyone was available) we decided to go ahead with it and make a decision on the conditions when we arrived at Stair Hole.
I spent the two previous days confirming and re-confirming tide times and depths, and also checking the wind forecast as we were seeing high winds moving in from the Atlantic. Ordinarily a wasted trip isn’t too much of an issue, but we didn’t want to have the Newsbeat team drive down from London if the winds were going to make it too dangerous to jump.
As it was a Tuesday and the day job had to be finished first, we arranged to meet at Stair Hole around 6.30pm about an hour before high tide. On meeting up and checking the area, we allayed any fears it was too windy and got on with fulfilling the requirements Newsbeat had of us. This comprised a piece for radio and some footage for an introduction on the Newsbeat website. It worked out perfectly as the wind continued to calm during the onshore interview, and a bright and pleasant evening emerged from the grey clouds.
I think Newsbeat were surprised at the scrabble down to the waters edge and the swim out to the jumping spots. Access to some of the jumps and the less than tropical conditions proved this was more of a hobby than a fleeting interest and they were really happy with the footage captured. Unfortunately they were unable to take part in the actual jumping (I believe for work insurance reasons) but they were (wet)suited up and Andy swam across to film us from below the jump to get an alternate angle to the footage from the shore.
Job done we all headed back to the car park and discussed what happens next. They were returning the next day to interview a RNLI Lifeguard from Swanage to get a balance for the piece, and editing would begin the following (this) week.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it is received and if there is a similar response to an earlier visit from ‘The Times’. Links will appear on this site when I receive them from the BBC.
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’.
After another seemingly never-ending winter, the sea is finally returning to a temperature that can be enjoyed by those of us who don’t have winter wetsuits. This means more people getting back in the water, enjoying the coast and the amazing scenery it offers. But as we all know, it also increases the chance of accidents and in severe cases, fatalities.
In the last week, two people have lost their lives in coasteering and tombstoning incidents. The RNLI have been quick to respond with a media release containing safety advice for both activities and further clarifying the difference between them.
See RNLI safety advice issued today in PDF or image format.
Rosie Allan-Jones has posted a very interesting article in The Independent, about a perfectly sober and careful visit to the coast, still ending in disaster. The danger here (as with the Durdle Door incident nearly a year ago) was the height of the jump. A quick search on YouTube for ‘tombstoning foot‘ shows that people are jumping from higher and higher.
In previous posts and when we’ve had the chance to talk to the media, we have always stressed the point that you should check water depth before jumping. A massive percentage of the accidents recorded whilst tombstoning have been as a result of people hitting the seafloor.
However, the competitive nature of the human-being has pushed tombstoning to heights that are dangerous no matter how much water lies below. Entering the water properly becomes crucial the higher you go (see the safety section) and this skill only comes with practice.
It’s very easy to analyse an article and pick holes in people’s thought processes or actions, long after they were looking down at the water from 90ft above. And that is largely unfair as most people will concede they have been in situations they haven’t felt completely comfortable, but have been pushed by their peers. But in an attempt to draw some safety advice from the article there are a few things that should be highlighted.
Take your time when increasing the height of your jump
Working your way up to higher jumps is an important learning process. Practice improves your technique and first-hand experience gained is essential.
Don’t let others push you out of your comfort zone
Jumping from a height someone else has successfully managed, but you are not feeling confident about will lead to mistakes. Panic takes over from calculated thought and you are more likely to enter the water badly. While you will get away with this below 40ft, as you go higher the water becomes much less forgiving.
Practice, practice, practice
The fact remains that in the article a boy had been doing it since he was 10 and hadn’t hurt himself. Nowhere in the article does it state the previous experience of the author, so it’s unfair to blame a lack of it on the accident; but practice and personal experience is the key to safer tombstoning.
The tombstoning feature penned by Tom Whipple when he joined us just over 3 weeks ago, has been printed in today’s paper and published on their website along with video of the day.
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