High tide vigilance – Call for extreme caution – News

These strong tidal coefficients can attract many people to the coastline of the English Channel and the North Sea.

The maritime prefect calls for the greatest caution to all users of the sea, and in particular those who fish on foot or who walk on the coast subject to the tide. A few minutes can sometimes be enough to be isolated by the rising tide.

Spring tides have the effect of increasing the tidal range (difference between the height of high water and that of low water) with greater mixing of sea water and a faster rise of water; they therefore make marine currents stronger and the sea more dangerous, creating an increased risk of isolation by the tide.

As a reminder, in 2023, 344 people found themselves isolated by the tide.

The main cause of isolation by tide remains negligence on the part of walkers but also a lack of knowledge of the local environment. It only takes a few minutes to be surprised by the rising tide and trigger the mobilization of significant resources – air and water.

To consult the tide times, go to https://maree.shom.fr/

Before each outing on the beach or along the sea, it is therefore strongly recommended:

• Before any outing at sea or on the coast, consult the weather forecast, the tide coefficients and times, and if necessary have it explained to you what this actually involves;
• Not to go out alone and to inform loved ones of your intentions beforehand (place, time of departure and if possible return);
• To have a means of communication to alert emergency services at sea (mobile phone charged and placed in a waterproof pocket to contact 196, or via channel 16 on VHF);
• To stay close to a withdrawal point and maintain a visual reference point on the coastline (as the tide rises, it can considerably modify the perception of the environment).