Coastguards were called out to reports of a person walking into the water far out on Berrow Beach – to find it was a fisherman enjoying the good weather.
Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team was called out at just after 10am on Sunday (Jan 19) after a member of the public had spotted a person a long distance out on Berrow Beach by the waters' edge.
When crews arrived they quickly ascertained that the person in question was in fact a fisherman and was in no danger.
People flocked to the coast over the weekend after a break in the weather which saw blue skies and unbroken sunshine and crisp, cold conditions.
A spokesman for Burnham Coastguard Rescue Team said: “It's still cold out but the weather has finally brightened up and the sun is making an appearance which means more people using the beaches.
“We were tasked to Berrow Beach as there were concerns for a person who was quite a distance out by the water's edge.
“We went along to Berrow Beach and instantly spotted the person involved.
"After taking up a better vantage point along the beach we used our binoculars to get a visual on the person and quickly ascertained it was a fisherman with full set-up and he was in no danger, although as the pictures show he was quite an unusual distance from the more popular fishing spots.”
Coastguards are urging people to take extra care when enjoying the coastline when the sun shines.
And they have warned people not to venture out too far to the tideline.
The spokesman said: “The beaches in our area are very changeable and yesterday they looked to be quite firm around the famous Berrow Wreck which is normally quite soft and stretching a fair distance.
“However, even though this was the case the tide has now covered it and once it recedes it could be completely different again.
“We don't advise anyone to go too far out as the ground beneath you will almost certainly change as the incoming tide seeps in under the sand and rises causing very unstable terrain conditions that you will have more chance of being stuck in, and with the tide rushing in behind you it's not the place you want to be
“We spoke to the person who called it in who was rightly concerned.
“Without the use of binoculars, it wasn't clear this was a fisherman and it did look like someone entering the water.
"It's never a waste of our time to be called as if it was someone in difficulty then every second counts.”
Anyone who gets into difficulty along the coast or spots someone in danger should call 999 and ask for the coastguard.
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