There has been a sharp increase in the number of walkers who need rescuing after tumbling down cliffs, firefighters and local government safety officials have said.
The rise is thought to be down to more people seeking excitement by climbing or scrambling on cliff faces, taking walks too close to dangerous edges, and getting close to dangerous drops in an attempt to take spectacular selfies.
Rescuers are also having to come to the aid of beach lovers caught in rockfalls and dog owners who get into trouble after pursuing their dogs on to cliffs.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) undertook 166 launches to people on cliffs in 2015, compared with 118 in 2014 – a rise of 41% – while firefighters are rescuing people stranded on cliffs and beaches due to rising tide at an average rate of once a month.
Statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show 121 people were admitted to hospital with injuries sustained due to falling from cliffs in 2014-15, compared with 112 in 2013-14 – an 8% increase.
The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils and all 48 fire and rescue authorities, is calling on government to launch a national campaign to highlight the risks of climbing, walking along or bathing near cliffs, and is urging people to assess the risks and use their judgment.
Simon Blackburn, chair of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said: “At this time of year a walk along the cliffs can be lovely, but while the views may be picturesque, they come with their own perils.
“It is irresponsible and negligent for any inexperienced climber to scale cliffs because not only are they jeopardising their own safety, they are also endangering the lives of firefighters and fellow rescue workers who are expected to come to their aid when they get stuck or fall.”
He added: “Young people may see cliffs as an opportunity to explore and climb, but doing so isn’t worth the risk. Cliff rescues are difficult, dangerous and time-consuming operations which often involve coordination with the coastguard and other emergency services. They put a demand on resources and can lead to fire and rescue services elsewhere being called to provide backup or cover.
“Some of these can easily be avoided if people take sensible precautions when either walking across clifftops or visiting beaches.”
Among the cases highlighted by the LGA was that of a 13-year-old boy airlifted to hospital and put into a coma after sustaining a fractured skull, a collapsed lung, a broken leg, collarbone and pelvis and five broken ribs after falling down a cliff while playing on rocks near Cullercoats, North Tyneside.
It also drew attention to the rescue of a teenage boy who got stuck while climbing a cliff at Durdle Door, in Dorset, in front of hundreds of sunbathers.
One of the most striking seaside images of the summer was of teenagers sitting atop crumbling white cliffs in East Sussex, a popular spot for selfie enthusiasts, with legs dangling over the edge.
Last month the National Trust urged people to keep away from drops after a news helicopter took footage of men with phones leaping up and down on top of a cliff at Dover.
It is not just a British phenomenon. Five tourists were injured in Goa apparently after taking selfies at a cliff edge, and Croatian police issued a warning after a Canadian man was almost killed after falling down a cliff.
The Croatian police tweeted:
Dear tourists, we respect you. It's time for you to start respecting yourself. So, stop making stupid and dangerous selfies. Thank you #HGSS
— Hrvatska GSS (@HrvatskaGSS) July 6, 2016
