Express & Star

Safety messages are being raked in the sand on Cornwall’s beaches

The Design Out Drowning project saw the RNLI partnered with local designers in a bid to reduce the number of coastline fatalities.

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Tidal cut off signage at Bedruthan Steps near Newquay (David Revell)

Safety messages are being raked across Cornwall’s beaches, to warn people against tidal dangers.

The trial scheme includes information about tide times, rip currents, and where is safe to swim.

The Design Out Drowning project saw the RNLI partnered with local designers in a bid to reduce the number of coastline fatalities.

In the last week alone, seven people in the UK have drowned — of these, five happened in Devon and Cornwall.

Graphic designer David Revell, who grew up in Cornwall, came up with the idea of doing something unusual that would capture beach-goers attention.

He said: “The concept is simple — create signs in the sand that could direct beach users to either the safest part of the sea, or inform them of potential risks and how to avoid them.

“People are talking about the signs, which is quite unusual for safety signage. Normally they would just walk past a standard sign.

“It’s really exciting seeing a theoretical idea transform into something that could actually be saving lives.”

The beach signs (RNLI)
The beach signs (RNLI/Will Dax)

His system of rakes, ropes and pegs keeps the letters looking uniform.

He said: “I wanted there to be a design element to it, so it didn’t just look like something that anyone had written on the beach.”

The sand signage has been trialled at Bedruthan Steps near Newquay, Watergate Bay and Perranporth.

RNLI prevention lead for the South West, Steve Instance, said feedback from the project had been overwhelmingly positive.

He said: “People are reading the signs — kids are asking their parents to read what they say, which wouldn’t normally happen.”

The messages are agreed between David and the RNLI at the start of the day by looking at what potential issues there are on the beaches.

If the project is successful, it could be rolled out across the country.

David Revell carving safety messages into the sand (RNLI)
David Revell carving safety messages into the sand (RNLI/Will Dax)

Steve said: “Our next step is to see how we can make this sustainable.

“Can we get a volunteer to walk down on the beach with a rake? Can our local crew make this part of their morning?”

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