Cornwall coroner's deaths warning after sea drownings

Treyarnon Bay, Porthcurno beach and Church Cove did not have lifeguards on them at the time of the fatalities

A coroner has said a bid to halve sea drownings by 2026 is "in real danger of being missed" amid concerns over a lack of government oversight for beach safety policy.

Cornwall coroner Andrew Cox has written a Prevention of Future Deaths report after three men drowned off the Cornish coast.

The inquests heard Covid lockdowns meant the beaches were not lifeguarded.

But there were broader "lessons to be learned", said Mr Cox.

Michael Pender, 63, drowned in the sea at Treyarnon beach, 30-year-old Jan Klempar drowned at Porthcurno beach and Paul Mullen, 56, drowned at Church Cove on the Lizard between May and August 2020.

'Confused legal landscape'

At their inquests in January 2024, Mr Cox said that ordinarily lifeguards would have been deployed on the beaches.

But only 70 out of 248 beaches lifeguarded the year before had guards on them at the time of the deaths, with Mr Cox citing a lack of furlough, limited notice of relaxing lockdown and difficulties for the RNLI in sourcing PPE.

Mr Cox has written to the Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office to express concerns relating to the pandemic but also about general beach safety.

Referring to a report commissioned by the MCA, he said this had identified a "confused and conflicting legal landscape", with "no clear legal duty to provide lifeguards".

'Ridiculous anomaly'

He said this meant most owners and occupiers were "acting out of social conscience than for any other reason".

He said the report said all stakeholders wanted "greater clarity" but this had not happened and there had been "no formal government response to the review".

Meanwhile, he said Mark Harper, Secretary of State for Transport, had confirmed that neither his department, nor the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA), had responsibilities for beach safety policy.

Quoting a local MP, he said it was noted as a "ridiculous anomaly" back in 2006 that there was more regulation for swimming in a public pool than in the "more dangerous" environment of the sea.

Mr Cox wrote: "What is apparent, however, is that a stated intention to reduce drownings by half by 2026 is in real danger of being missed.

"It is for Government to decide whether there should be policy in this area and, if so, who should be responsible for it.

"My duty is simply to bring the concerns to your attention which I hope I have now discharged."

Mr Cox said the report would also be sent to the family of those who lost their lives, the Royal National Lifeguard Institution (RNLI), the MCA, Cornwall Council and the National Trust.

The BBC has contacted the Cabinet Office, RNLI, and Cornwall Council for comment.