As the summer approaches, young people are being warned of the risks associated with ‘tombstoning’.
Boats manoeuvring, the shock of entering cold water suddenly and not knowing the depth of the water are all dangers associated with jumping into or swimming in harbours.
The Ports Division of the Department of Infrastructure is urging people of all ages, particularly children and young people, to take care when playing near the coast.
Although we have been fortunate in the Isle of Man not to have had any serious accidents this is not the case in the UK where there have been several well-publicised incidents of people suffering severe injury as a result of tombstoning.
In an effort to minimize the risk of this activity, the Ports Division has designed and erected safety information signs on all its piers and in the area of Laxey Harbour.
People are urged to take notice of these signs and to listen to any Ports Division officers when they advise that an activity should stop, as they will be aware of any particular dangers in that area.
