Changes to missing and outdated signage warning of risks to beach goers were going to be made after the summer season in which two youngsters drowned in a rip current, an inquest has heard.
Joe Abbess, 17, and Sunnah Khan, 12, died and eight other people were treated by paramedics after being rescued next to Bournemouth pier in the Dorset seaside resort on May 31 last year.
The inquest has heard that a safety audit report of Bournemouth beach was carried out in 2020, which recommended additional warning symbols for “beware of strong currents” and “keeping children under supervision”.
The parents of the two youngsters have questioned the lifeguard response to the incident and whether better signs should have been in place warning of the risk of rip currents by the pier, as well as providing safety advice for swimmers.
A further review of signage was sent to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council in March 2023, two months prior to the fatal incident.
On Thursday, Anthony Rogers, head of seafront at the council, told the coroner’s court that it was decided to implement changes after the busy summer period because of the time it would take to assess locations, find designers, procure, manufacture and install the signs, and obtain planning permission in some cases.
“We were aware some of the signage needed updating and one or two locations it was missing, however by and large, we have a significant amount,” he said.
“Where signs were missing the RNLI was mitigating that with additional signage on the beach to warn beach goers of any risk.”
The hearing also heard from lifeguards on duty that day that signage to warn of strong currents was put out on the beach on the day of the incident.
Senior lifeguard Edward Downing said in a statement he made that decision because of the easterly wind present that day which “makes the beach more dangerous”.
During the hearing, Mr Rogers described his “shock” at not being told of major rescues which took place following rip currents in the two summers before Joe and Sunnah drowned.
RNLI lifeguard operations manager Peter Dawes told the inquest that three incidents of “assists” rather than life-saving rescues had occurred during the summers of 2021 and 2022.
But Mr Rogers said he was “surprised” not to be made aware of the incidents internally, and he was “shocked” that it was not raised with him despite press coverage of one of the incidents where 17 people had been swept out to sea in a rip current in August 2021.
Asked what he would have done if he had that information, he said: “We would have wanted to understand, not just the data, but the severity of that incident, potential causes that might have been and then review our approaches to our three key elements – signage, public rescue equipment (PRE), in particular our lifeguard provision – is appropriate.
“What I understand now about those incidents, there were no serious injuries or fatalities so I may have considered the lifeguard provision at that time would be sufficient.”
He added he was not aware of any other deaths related to rip currents at Bournemouth beach.
The inquest continues.
