The RNLI has devised a new campaign aimed at educating children and parents about safety at the beach. The Beachwise scheme is being launched today by Port Talbot lifeboat in Wales after the charity found itself rescuing up to 18 local children a day last summer. RNLI research into the reasons why so many rescue situations were occurring showed that 33% of British children thought that sharks were the biggest threat to them at the seaside.

The new programme seeks to educate children of the real dangers commonly leading to rescue situations, such as using inflatables, being dragged out to sea by rip currents and being cut off from land and stranded by flooding tides.

The campaign consists of two elements: ‘Shorething’, an up-and-running interactive website for children and parents offering games, activities and videos to educate children about seaside safety, and a million information leaflets which will be distributed to tourist sites along the coast. It is based around the mnemonic SAFE:

S – Spot the danger
A – Always go with a friend
F – Find and read safety signs and flags
E – Emergency: know what to do.

For more information on the Beachwise scheme, go to www.rnli-shorething.org.uk