Lifeboat crews have noticed that jumping into water from a height is becoming ever more popular around our coasts. The craze, known as tombstoning, has led to 139 incidents for emergency services in the past 5 years, including 12 fatalities and many more spinal and limb injuries. Risks include variations in water depth due to the tide; hidden submerged objects, such as rocks; cold-water shock, and strong currents.

The RNLI’s advice is not to take part in this dangerous activity at all. Taking a pragmatic approach, if people insist on tombstoning, there are steps they can take to reduce the risk: check for hazards and water depth, check for access as it may not be possible to get out of the water after your jump, and remember that conditions can alter rapidly and other people watching may try to copy what you’re doing.

For more information and advice about tombstoning – and to see some very thought-providing videos on the subject – go to rnli.org.uk/tombstoning.