FALLING TIDE DANGERS.

Shannon News, 1 March 1927, Page 3

FALLING TIDE DANGERS.

The almost invariable week-end chapter of bathing fatalities calls for special consideration. The toll pf life is very heavy, and every possible avenue of prevention should be investigated, as the desirability of the healthy pastime is so pronounced that the dangers surrounding indulgence therein cannot very seriously be weighed in the balance against its yalue. A correspondent of" The Taranaki Herald" thus public-spiritedly gives advice on one important aspect of the matter: — "Reading of the recent sea-bathing fatalities that have occurred, I would like to call attention to a fact which is often overlooked, viz., the danger of entering the water without noticing whether the tide is coming in or ing out —ebbing or flowing. I tliink that I cannot do better than call attention to some remarks of warning given by the late Professor Bcckwith —a onelegged man who, about 1869, was the champion swimmer of England. In his articles on learning to swim, published about that time in the 'Boys' Own Paper,' of London, he cautioned bathers on the danger of bathing when the tide was running out, and went on to say that, through neglecting this caution he found himself carried out to sea on one occasion, and he had to remain out there for four hours until the tide turned and he was able to come in again. It seems to me that some of the fatalities on both coasts, recently, might have been terminated quite differently if this precaution had been observed. As a matter of fact, the writer's son and himself, over 20 years ago. had a very narrow escape from drowning through not observing the above advice. I may add that I have seen I large numbers of articles on swimming, but no other writer has given the same warning. It stands to reason that if a person docs get into trouble, there is a greater chance of his life being saved if the tide is washing him in, instead of taking him out."