There have already been a number of incidents this summer following ‘tombstones’, a number of which have resulted in the presence of an air ambulance and the hospitalization of the person involved.
Tombstoning is when thrill seekers jump vertically from a cliff or jetty into the sea.
Video surfaced earlier this month showing a man recording his own leap from the Durdle Door limestone arch with a front camera.
In a caption posted to the video, user AdrenalineWings wrote that it “goes without saying” that it is dangerous.
However, many people don’t realize how dangerous the activity is – around 20 people have died doing this since 2005 and countless more have been seriously injured.
Here is what happens to your body when you fall on a gravestone and some of the dangers you should be aware of.
Dangers
One of the main dangers not taken into account by tombstoners is the depth of the water and its content.
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Cloudy water can mean that hidden rocks are not seen until it is too late.
Jumps are easy to misjudge and often result in horrific injuries when jumpers hit debris below the waterline.
There is also the impact of hitting the water to consider, the higher you jump – the stronger the impact of the water will be.
Hitting water from a height has been described as hitting concrete due to your weight, the speed at which you are moving, and the surface of the water.
There’s also the danger of hitting the bottom of anything you’ve jumped into – it can easily break your legs if you’ve dipped a pencil in.
Not only that, but the shock of entering cold water can make it difficult to swim and cause breathing difficulties.
The shock of cold water can make movement incredibly difficult.
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Jumping can be everyone’s first concern, but once you’re in the water there are always risks to consider, such as strong tides or depth of water.
Swimming in the sea with waves and currents is very different from a swimming pool and should not be done lightly.
It is very easy for swimmers to get carried away by the sea.
There is also the swim back to shore or to a place you can step out to contemplate.
If you’ve been injured in a fall but are far from the beach or somewhere to hang out, you may find yourself in great difficulty.
Jumping off cliffs can also mean there is no access to exit.
The Coast Guard has the following advice: “Think before you jump: don’t let alcohol, drugs or peer pressure affect your judgment; even if you jump safely, children may look at you and try to copy your actions. “
How many deaths were there related to the gravestone?
Since 2004, the Coast Guard has dealt with more than 200 incidents, with 70 injuries and 20 deaths.
Among the injured, the youngest was 12 and the oldest 45.
About 20% of injuries are to the spine and are paralyzed people.
If you fall on your stomach into water from a deep height, deep bruising to internal organs can occur, which can lead to serious medical complications.
BELOW VIDEO: The Maritime and Coastguard agency released a video encouraging people to think before taking risks at the beach
What happened at Durdle Door this year?
There have been a number of incidents on the cliffs around Durdle Door or on the limestone arch itself.
A woman died earlier this week after falling from the famous monument.
The woman was descending the 150-foot rocky cliffs that are part of Durdle Door and suffered fatal injuries when she fell on rocks under the bluff that overlooks Man o ‘War Beach.
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Visitors to a Dorset beauty spot have been warned to ‘stay away’ from ‘dangerous’ cliffs after emergency services were called to a stranded teenager earlier this month.
Firefighters, police and the coast guard were called in to rescue a 14-year-old boy stranded on a “grassy slope” on the cliffs, about 25 to 30 meters above the beach.
The teenager was rescued to safety and taken down to the beach by the coast guard, but Dorset Council members subsequently issued a warning to other thrill seekers.
An air ambulance was called to Durdle Door after a man dislocated his shoulder after performing a ‘gravestone’ jump from the arch into the water earlier this week.
Prior to this incident, a man who had dived 200 feet from Durdle Door into the sea had to be airlifted to hospital with a dislocated shoulder.
The footage showed onlookers initially clapping as he prepared for the very dangerous jump, but left screaming when it was clear he had been injured.
Do you have a tip or a story to tell? Email me via rebecca.cook@reachplc.com to get in touch.
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Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-19 02:00:00
