Mother calls for more education on sea safety after son died when caught in a riptide at West Wittering
Mother calls for more beach safety awareness after son’s death
A desperate plea has been made for people to be aware of the dangers of the sea by the mother of a teenager who died after becoming caught in a riptide.
It has been nearly three years since Ren Baldry received the devastating news that her 19-year-old son Ryan was lost at sea. And with the recent UK heatwave resulting in at least 15 water-related deaths she wanted to share her son’s story in the hopes of saving lives.
On September 4, 2023, she dropped Ryan off at West Wittering beach to meet a group of friends at around 6pm. With the tide out, the long sandy beach was at its widest with most beachgoers having already headed home for the day, along with the lifeguards.
Before leaving, Ryan and one other from his group decided to have one last dip as their friends headed back to the car.
Ren said: “Because the tide had gone out Ryan and his friend were alone, the beach was emptying out, and when they got in Ryan quickly became stuck even though they were not too far from the shore. He tried to keep himself up for as long as could until he couldn't anymore.”
Ryan and his friend had become caught in a riptide, a strong, narrow and fast-moving current of water that flows away from the shoreline and out to sea.
Ren said: “The person Ryan was with survived because he had a little bit of sea safety knowledge from college, he believes that. Perhaps if Ryan had something to hold onto or a bit more knowledge about the sea and riptides, he may have survived, or been able to stay up long enough for someone to help him.”
Ryan’s friend was able to float until he got to a section of water where he could swim again and get to the safety of the beach. He had tried to help Ryan by throwing a ball to him and trying to use his shorts as a buoyancy aid. It was to no avail.
After his friends were able to raise the alarm with a first aid tent situated further along the beach. A search was launched but eventually called off at around 1pm the next day. Four days later his body was found by a fisherman off Hayling Island.
While still raw with grief Ren, who is from Portsmouth and lives in Chichester, wants to use Ryan’s story to help keep other people safe, especially with the recent heatwave leading to more young people entering the water without being aware of the risks. Riptides are also common across the South Coast, including in Portsmouth, Hayling Island and the Gosport area.
She said: “Since Ryan died we have realised he could have survived if he had the knowledge and we realise there is a gap in sea safety at schools. It would be a good way to reach lots of young people because the information can be hard to come by.
“People are not always looking at the boards on the beach or information on the beach websites or understanding what it means. We want to find a more direct way of spreading that education to children.”
One of the ways she is hoping to spread the message to young people is through visiting schools and telling Ryan’s story. Ren has set up an Instagram page (ryan_baldry_19) which she would like schools and colleges to reach out to if they would like them to come in and talk to students.
There are many ways that Ren is looking to help spread the word, ultimately she wants to set up a foundation in Ryan’s name, but with the recent spate of incidents during the heatwave she has felt compelled to come forwards.
Supporting her and Ryan’s three brothers since that tragic day, has been her sister Katherine Reed, of Widley in Waterlooville. Katherine is alongside her in campaigning beach and sea safety awareness.
Katherine said: “Since this happened, Ren has wanted to start a foundation in Ryan’s name but the grief has been inconceivable. With everything that has been happening recently, despite that pain and grief, we feel strong enough to try and help other people to be safe.
“There are a few simple things that can be done including sharing Ryan’s story in his memory. It is not because we are trying to frighten people or stop people having fun, but there are just some really important things that people need to know about.
“The first thing would be tell someone where you are going, not your mates but a responsible adult. There are apps like Life360, Find My Phone, What3Words. I know some teenagers don’t want to use it or thinks its invasive but actually I use it when I am going hiking, you can use it just at these times to be found in case you get into trouble.”
Katherine added “We need to get more education in schools around open water spaces, I don’t mind admitting I knew nothing about riptides until this happened to Ryan. Whilst the water may look extremely calm it is often when it is most dangerous.”
Riptides are also not the only danger, with people jumping into cold water during hot weather which can lead to their bodies going into shock with The Camber in Portsmouth a well-known hot spot for young people jumping in to the sea.
There are precautions that can be taken to help you if you get into trouble. Katherine said: “There are simple things like not wearing dark colours in the water, if you are wearing white of bright colours you may be more easily spotted.”
“The massive one is float to live which lots of people are not aware of. It sounds like Ryan tried to fight to get back to safety and you can be the strongest swimmer but you can’t beat the waves.”
The float to live campaign issued by the RNLI provides advise on what is best to do when you get into trouble in the water. The advice is to tilt your head back submerging your ears, relax and control your breathing, move your hands and legs to help stay afloat, you’re legs may sink and that is okay as everyone floats differently. It is also advised to practice at a supervised location.
Through all of the advice and education that Ren and Katherine want to spread, the main one is to talk to one another and tell your children of the dangers the water can possess.
Katherine said: “Speak to your children and make them aware of the dangers, tell Ryan’s story. If everyone was more aware and used some of these things then potentially that could help. In Ryan’s name we want to help as many people as possible.”
Further details on beach safety can be found at https://rnli.org/safety/beach-safety