Cornwall RNLI first to use sand signage

2 July 2019, 18:38

The RNLI are taking a new approach to getting their safety messages out to the public.

Over the summer, huge letters will be written in the sand on beaches across Cornwall, delivering water safety messages.

They’re the first in the country to use the beach itself as a canvas to display safety messages.

The messages include the warning of tidal cut offs, of dangerous rip currents and reminders to swim between the red and yellow flags.

The idea came from David Revell from design consultancy Imagemakers as part of a challenge set by the RNLI‘s Design Out Drowning programme.

David says "The concept is simple really - to create signs in the sand that could direct beach users to either the safest part of the sea, or inform them of potential risks and how to avoid them.

"Because the beach art might be unexpected and unusual to encounter, we hope that it will capture their attention and act as a timely reminder to remember safety as they arrive at the beach."

The sand signage will be trialled at Bedruthan Steps near Newquay, Watergate Bay and Perranporth.

Steve Instance, RNLI Community Safety Manager for the south west says "Last year, 25 people lost their lives on the coast in the south west. Too many people are getting cut off by tides or being caught out in rip currents, so we’re exploring new ways of raising awareness of these dangers.

"While we are still very much in the early stages of trialling the sand signage, the initial tests have been well received and certainly captured people’s attention.

"We’ll continue testing throughout the summer and perfecting its installation while exploring how it could be rolled out to other locations."