Jumping into the Unknown – Tombstoning Dangers

UK Coastguard Advises on the Perils of Pier and Bridge Jumping

Jul 25, 2009 Elaine Findlay

With 10 deaths and 36 serious injuries caused in the UK in the last four years by jumping off cliffs and piers, UK officials warn against this dangerous extreme sport.

Tombstoning is the term used in Britain for the practise of leaping from a height (usually off a bridge or pier) into water. It is also known in other parts of the world as bluff diving and pier jumping. It is quite different to that other extreme sport called BASE jumping because the heights are usually lower and no parachute is used.

Increased Loss of Life and Serious Injuries through Tombstoning

According to an article published by the UK's Maritime and Coastguard Agency, from 2005 to 2009, in the UK, ten lives were needlessly lost and thirty six people ended up with serious and life changing injuries through participating in this perilous pastime. However, these figures do not include incidents involving tombstoners at inland water venues, such as quarries and rivers, where the Coastguard was not called.

There is also the worrying and increasing trend of mobile phones being used to capture stills and videos of a jump which subsequently get posted on the internet for all to see. Research by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) shows it is usually young men who decide to tombstone and these online clips will only encourage more men to get hurt by participating in this hazardous craze.

Safety Agencies Urge People not to Jump into the Unknown

UK safety officials have become so concerned about the growth of this deadly practise that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), in conjunction with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and RoSPA, has launched a summer campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of tombstoning. Headlined “Don’t Jump into the Unknown”, it urges potential jumpers to consider the dangers before taking that potentially final leap.

They have produced an innovative poster to go with the campaign. It shows a young man jumping from a pier into a choppy sea which has graphic phrases like “broken neck”, “drown”, “shattered spine” included in the waves. There is also a two dimensional barcode which when scanned by mobile internet phones with a barcode reader, launches a web page giving further information about the dangers of tombstoning.

Guidelines to Follow if Considering Pier, Bridge or Quarry Jumping

Whilst none of the UK’s safety organisations condone tombstoning, they have produced a set of key safety rules to remember when considering whether or not to tombstone. They are:

• The depth of the water can change rapidly with the tides and the depth of the swell
• There may be hidden currents and rip tides which could sweep a jumper out to sea
• Never jump from anything into water if under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• General guidelines say that a depth of water of at least five metres is needed for a jump from a height of ten metres
• There may be dangerous structures below the surface of the sea. Groynes and rocks may be hidden from view
• Don’t jump because a mate makes a bet or a dare
• If the water is cold, the shock may make it difficult to swim
• Is it possible to get out of the water once in it (particularly in quarry situations)

The copyright of the article Jumping into the Unknown – Tombstoning Dangers in Extreme Sports is owned by Elaine Findlay. Permission to republish Jumping into the Unknown – Tombstoning Dangers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Dangers of Tombstoning

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