The Port of Milford Haven will be enforcing its bye-laws in order to stop crowds of people from risking their lives by jumping into the water on its land at Milford Marina and Hakin Point.

Tombstoning is an extremely dangerous activity that can be fatal and the areas around Milford Marina and Hakin point are particularly hazardous. As well as being a busy shipping and fishing area, with lots of commercial and leisure traffic, beneath the water there can be many hidden dangers. Port staff regularly collect debris from the area at low tide, often picking up large items such as tyres and shopping trollies - potentially a death trap. As well as this, cold water shock is a leading cause of death that many people fail to appreciate; even in recent warm weather the waters around the UK are cold and when the body suddenly enters this environment it can cause an involuntary gasp resulting in water being breathed rather than air.

Since 2004 the Coastguard has dealt with over 200 incidents, with 70 injuries and 20 deaths. Of those injuries the youngest was 12 and the oldest was 45.

During recent hot weather there have been numerous reports of large groups of children and adults jumping in, especially off Hakin Point. It has also been reported that people have been jumping into the water despite there being commercial and leisure vessels around the area, and a near miss incident has occurred. When reminded about the danger of the activity, many have displayed threatening and challenging behaviour.

Wayne Evans, the Port’s Health, Safety & Security Manager commented: “We understand that there is a history of people jumping into the water and we are very fortunate that no-one has been injured or worse to date. However, together with our partners in Dyfed Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue, RNLI and Milford Youth Matters, we have and continue to work hard to try to get across the message that tombstoning is not safe. Together, we are simply trying to prevent a serious injury or at worst a fatality. If we find anyone jumping into the water, we will be exercising our right, as land owner, to prosecute.”

Anna Malloy, Stakeholder Engagement and Communications Manager who has been working with multiple agencies since 2014 to deliver the WAVE anti-tombstoning project added: “We are just trying to prevent any harm coming to our children and it would be really helpful if parents could support us. If young people are looking for activities to do, we have plenty going on at Milford Waterfront. Every Friday night throughout the summer there will be loads of activities taking place under Hakin Bridge as part of our Under the Bridge project with Milford Youth Matters. Check out our website for more information on this.”

-Ends-

Photo caption: The Port has signage up around the Marina that demonstrates the dangers of tombstoning.

Notes to Editors

Port of Milford Haven

The Port of Milford Haven is the UK’s top energy port and Wales’ busiest port handling around 20% of Britain’s seaborne trade in oil and gas. It is widely recognised in the industry as the energy capital of the UK.

The Port, along with the cluster of energy-related businesses along the Waterway, is a key driver of economic activity in Pembrokeshire, attracting inward investment and supporting over 4,000 jobs.

The Port of Milford Haven also owns and operates Pembroke Port and Milford Dock. Activities such as cargo handling, ferry operations, fish landing and cruise calls as well as a first class marina are spread across these two sites.

One of the most prominent on the West Coast, the Port is in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the only Coastal National Park in Great Britain. It is marked as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and has many areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

The Port of Milford Haven is a trust port – an independent, commercially run organisation that has statutory responsibilities governed by its Acts, to maintain and improve navigation and the provision of Port and Harbour services and facilities. Additionally, the Port provides significant financial and in-kind support to a wide variety of local causes. All profits are retained within the business to fund these objectives.

For further information, visit www.mhpa.co.uk or contact:
Anna Malloy
Port of Milford Haven
01646 696100
anna.malloy@mhpa.co.uk