A London based orthodox Jewish group made the headlines this week when a hiking trip almost resulted in the loss of 34 children and their two supervisors to the English channel. The group had made their way to the coast from Stamford Hill in North London for a walk along the headland and beach, when they became dangerously trapped by a rapidly advancing tide.
The group were rescued with little time to spare by the Royal Nation Lifeboat Institution using several boats and a helicopter in the darkness and rough sea conditions. A spokesman for the RNLI described the group as ‘incredibly lucky’ and said they had no concept of the situation they could have been in if the water had advanced further. The rescuers were forced to use infrared and night vision cameras in the difficult and dark conditions as the group was divided all along the coastal stretch. The RNLI described how the children used their mobile phone lights and four were found shouting from the rocks they had climbed in an attempt the reach safety.
Dover RNLI Coxswain, Mark Finnis, stated that although none of the individuals involved were injured, they had undoubtedly had an extremely distressing and traumatic experience. The rescue was undertaken by volunteers. Members of The Stamford Hill Shomrim, a local community safety patrol connected with the group, were called initially and drove down from London to assist and also liaise with concerned parents and friends.
Unfortunately the list of poor decisions and weak trip planning around the outing is very extensive. Firstly the group were inappropriately attired. They had set out onto a varied cliff top and beach terrain not in boots or waterproofs but in orthodox attire, which was massively impractical. Secondly they knew nothing of their surroundings. The area of the Dover cliffs they walked was signed with warnings and tidal information which were overlooked by the group as the majority could not speak English. The representative of the RNLI stated that the group must have walked past no less than nine signs warning them of the danger beyond. The chosen walk route between St Margaret’s Bay and Dover Harbour also had the additional hazard of falling rocks. Research of the area would have informed the organisers of the tidal systems and the danger areas, appropriate visiting times and necessary attire. Thirdly the staff to child ratio was massively flawed. Two adults escorted a group of 34 children. Fourthly, when the danger became apparent, instead of contacting emergency services, a fear of the potential repercussions caused the leaders to contact their head office, The Stamford Hill Shomrim, back in London. As a result of the delay the rescue parties were not scrambled until 9.25pm that evening. Finally it is beyond doubt that the darkness was a dangerous impediment to rescue and a trip should not have been on the cliffs at such a late hour.
Deputy Launching Authority at Dover Lifeboat Station James Salmon urged people to be cautious when walking the Dover cliffs and to be highly aware of the dangers of the tide.
Handsam can help you plan your trip extensively through our Trip Planning System. Identify and reduce weather related and all other risks with our Risk Assessment Guidance and identify coastal walks with less danger through our information on coastal destinations and activities.
