Safety reminder issued from UK Coastguard when playing Pokémon Go
While the “Pokémon Go” craze continues to capture the interest of people
all over the world, UK Coastguard has put out another safety reminder after
three girls ignored a red flag beach warning at Hastings Pier last night and
went into the water chasing Pokémon.
Sussex Police requested UK Coastguard assistance after they received a report
from a member of the public that three girls were standing in the sea near
Hastings Pier at around 9.23pm Wednesday 27 July 2016. The red flag was out at Hastings Pier last
night warning beach goers that the sea was rough and the there was a real
safety concern for the girls as they were reported to be fully clothed in the
water.
Hastings Coastguard Rescue Team and the Hastings RNLI inshore lifeboat were
sent to the scene, along with Sussex Police. Police officers were able to
get the girls out of the water minutes before the UK Coastguard and RNLI
arrived. It was established that the girls were looking for Pokémon and
they were advised not to into the water again.
David Jones, Duty Controller
for the UK Coastguard said: ‘We have been made aware of a few incidents
over the past few weeks involving PokémonGO and we want to reiterate the safety
message we put out last week.
‘We don’t want to stop
Pokémon hunters from having fun, but please be aware of your surroundings and
be extra careful if you’re playing near water or the coast. Catching a
pocket fictional creature is not worth losing your life over.
‘Remember to tell someone where
you are going and what time you’ll be home. Try and stay between the red
and yellow flags on the beach – a lifeguarded beach means that help would be
there straight away if you got into difficulties. A red
flagged beach indicates the sea is rough and dangerous, even for the best
swimmers, so we would never advise anyone to go in the sea if they see a red
flag on the beach. Always consider whether you could be cut off by the
incoming tide, and above all do not take unnecessary risks. If you get into
trouble don’t use your phone to catch a Pokémon use it to call 999 and ask for
the Coastguard.’