The RNLI has urged young people to stop taking “excessive risks” after a video emerged showing teenagers jumping at least 80ft (24m) from a cliff into the sea.
The short clip shows a number of young people jumping from a cliff in Kilkee, Co Clare while others sit, with their feet dangling over the edge, laughing, cheering and recording.
Charlie Glynn, from the Kilrush lifeboat station in Co Clare, said the behaviour seen in the video was “particularly dangerous” due to the conditions of the water.
Was sent this video to highlight to parents in #Kilkee what their kids are getting up to. This is absolutely crazy, approx 80 feet high, one misstep and it’s a permanent life changing injury at best, a funeral at worst. pic.twitter.com/ANZT6ttKP7
— Cllr. Cillian Murphy (@Tri2bResponsibl) August 2, 2019
“They are literally jumping into the unknown,” Mr Glynn said. “If you’re jumping in straight after someone, the water and area beneath you can change so quickly so it’s extremely dangerous. In Kilkee you are at the mercy of the Atlantic swell.”
“One wrong step and you could be in trouble very quickly. If you landed in the water incorrectly, then you’re leaving yourself open to neck and spinal injury, and then there are other issues associated with cold water shock. There is a significant risk from jumping at this height as well,” he added.
Mr Glynn said the water the young people were jumping into is not a very accessible area if a rescue team was needed.
“From the RNLI point of view, we need to look at safety first, and the safety of our members and that would be a very difficult area to get a boat into,” Mr Glynn said. “When it comes to rescuing, time is of the essence, but it would be very difficult to rescue an injured person from there, we might have to use a helicopter.”
The video has prompted local councillor and co-founder of Loop Head Tourism Cillian Murphy to call on parents to "know what their kids are doing" and "take action" before someone is killed.
Mr Murphy said the video had to be made public in an effort to prevent these irresponsible actions and the risk of copycat incidents.
In a post on Twitter, Cllr Murphy said: "Was sent this video to highlight to parents in #Kilkee what their kids are getting up to. This is absolutely crazy, approx 80 feet high, one misstep and it's a permanent life changing injury at best, a funeral at worst."
When contacted, Mr Murphy added: “I was sent this video and thought long and hard as to whether we should post it, but we felt the merits in showing parents what their children are getting up to back at the cliffs outweighed any potential negatives.
“This is absolutely mental. Not only are they putting their own lives at risk, but if they get hurt or killed the rescue services will have to be deployed to rescue or recover them, putting other lives at risk also.”
“We would ask parents to warn their children of the risks of undertaking this activity at this location. And, to take on the responsibility of making sure they are not involved in it.
“It really is only a matter of time before someone slips or misjudges their jump” which could at this height result in, at best, a long term life changing injury or at worst a fatality, he added.
“The narrative will then become why didn’t “someone” do “something”.
