This New Year, as people choose to blow away the festive cobwebs on the coast, the RNLI has teamed up with the MCA to support the Winter Coastal Safety Campaign.

The campaign serves as a reminder that the coast and sea can be incredibly dangerous places – from rough winter seas to changing tides and unstable and eroding clifftop edges.

At New Year, it will be business as usual for volunteer lifeboat crew around the coast who will be ready to swap the turkey and tinsel for saving lives at a moment’s notice.

The charity and the MCA are hoping people adhere to government guidelines if lucky enough to live close to the coast. Also people are being urged to take heed of vital safety advice to ensure they and their families stay safe. The RNLI is keen to stress that it is people out enjoying the shoreline who are most at risk of drowning.

The RNLI’s drowning prevention campaign Respect the Water advocates the benefits of floating should people find themselves in cold water.

Chris Cousens, RNLI Regional Water Safety Lead for Wales says:

‘As people enjoy some well-deserved time off, we expect some families heading out and about enjoying our coastlines. Coastal walking is a very safe activity most of the time, but slips and falls from walking and running are the biggest cause of death on our coastline. We don’t want to stop people having fun, but want to share our safety advice to ensure everyone is able to enjoy themselves.’

The RNLI is offering the following advice to people who will visit the coast this holiday:

. Be wary of all edges around the sea and waterside. Slips and falls happen in all locations; it is not just high cliff edges that are a risk.

. Always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back.

. Take care when walking in dark and slippery conditions.

. Always take a means of calling for help. Always check the weather and tides. Getting cut off by the tide is a common cause of lifeboat launches.

Chris adds:

‘The sea is particularly cold this time of year, if you do enter the water unexpectedly the RNLI’s advice is to float on your back for a short time to regain control of your breathing. The natural reaction is to panic, but floating until you are in a position to call for help will give you a much better chance of surviving.’

Claire Hughes, Director of HM Coastguard, said: “We are expecting lots of visitors to the coast over the holiday period and are prepared and ready, as always, to deal with all emergency situations. But please take note of our safety advice and don’t take risks, be responsible for your actions."