Experience

[T.C.]

Hahaha, Baz - no m8, it wasn't aimed at you at all
Over many years, this business of culpability has come up many times and each time, the local council gets the stick for "mismanagement" of the piers - both Roker and South Shields (and I dare say several others, too). To be honest, I can really only speak for that at South Shields....it IS owned and managed by the PTA.....the Council do not own, nor maintain it.....I dare say that the PTA does recieve an element of funding from South Tyneside Council (as I suspect Sunderland City do likewise to their Port Authority.

[Davyred]

TC, the only reason I mentioned that it was up to Sunderland council is that its the council offices (deparment of leisure) that you ring to ask if its open, and the bloke comes down in a council van.

[Charlton]

lying old **** davie eh
plum how did you get away with using that word

[The Plum]

lying old **** davie eh
plum how did you get away with using that word

lol davie I WORK FOR THE COUNCIL HAHA PMSL

[The Plum]

lol davie I WORK FOR THE COUNCIL HAHA PMSL

oops amean alan?

[paulthespark]

For me it;s totally the responsibility of the induvidiual to decide wether or not to go out when the conditions are dangerous, me if i have the smallest shadow of doubt in my mind about safety then i won't fish that mark, but if people want to endanger thier own lives there's nothing you can do to stop them if they are determind enough ,just like mountaineers climing up thge side of a moutain in the middle of winter ,pothholers ,round the world yachtmen, scuba divers ect ect .its their choice its what they want to do simple as that.

[johnf]

Its good that these safety threads create a bit of "discussion" as it may just stick in peoples minds the next time they're about to fish a mark & are in two minds whether it's too dangerous are not.

I was fishing Whitley Pipe for a couple of hours on Friday night & there were two lads passed me on the way to the end. Did'nt know if they were experienced or not but I mentioned to watch out for the swells from the South Easterly behind them. Might have thought I was a Kn*b but at least it was said & they were aware of it. If you know the place & someones passing you etc, its worth mentioning the risks on the off chance that person doesn't know the area & conditions

[Red5]

Northern Echo Jan 4th 2003...

"AN angler killed after a wave swept him off a pier was last night named as Stephen Garnett.

Forty-five-year-old Mr Garnett was one of three people who were fishing at the Northumberland port of Amble when weather deteriorated on Thursday afternoon.

The others managed to get clear of the pier, but Mr Garnett is understood to have been packing up his equipment when he was swept away in an area known as the Triangle, by a high wave.

He was eventually winched from the sea by a rescue helicopter from RAF Boulmer, in Northumberland, but he was confirmed dead on arrival at hospital in Ashington.

An inshore lifeboat, which was scrambled within minutes, capsized during the rescue and three crew members were injured before being rescued.

Two of the lifeboat crew suffered broken limbs and one of them was kept overnight in hospital before being released yesterday.

Lifeboat spokesman Derek Goggins said the vessel was a write-off and would have to be replaced."

I-along with several others from this site, visited Amble lifeboat station and watched the official RNLI video of the rescue attempt - FRIGHTENING stuff, which aside from resulting in the anglers death, resulted in several members of the lifeboat crew being hospitalised.

This was an angler with "experience". The sea has no respect for "experience" !

Derek actually used to be the our Sector Manager for the Coastguard and was based in Amble (fantastic man, always got stroies to tell), and I remember him mentioning this incident during my training, as well as obviously seeing it on the news and it was horrendous.
Derek actually asked me as a sea angler, to liase with anglers and tackle shops on a number of issues, that he thought could potentially save lives, this being one of them.

as the quote says:This was an angler with "experience". The sea has no respect for "experience"

[silent striker]

does anyone know if there is a phone no to see if the pier is open or not,as i have traveled there numerous times,sea conditions ok to go on but gates are closed,if there is such a number it would be easier to check before hand than to travel than find closed when you arrive.

[Davyred]

does anyone know if there is a phone no to see if the pier is open or not,as i have traveled there numerous times,sea conditions ok to go on but gates are closed,if there is such a number it would be easier to check before hand than to travel than find closed when you arrive.

0191 5532828 department of events and resorts

By the way, tried ringing them all day monday to see if they'd open the pier (sea was flat)....no answer, so left a message.

To be fair to them, they rang me today to tell me they were all on a training course, which is absolutely no good at all for my codling tally

[Charlton]

0191 5532828 department of events and resorts

By the way, tried ringing them all day monday to see if they'd open the pier (sea was flat)....no answer, so left a message.

To be fair to them, they rang me today to tell me they were all on a training course, which is absolutely no good at all for my codling tally

or my fishing reports, hang on, all away on course, fifty anglers go onto pier, the sea comes away oooopppps

[Davyred]

or my fishing reports, hang on, all away on course, fifty anglers go onto pier, the sea comes away oooopppps

Good point. Who closes the pier if it was open?

I've since found out that the dept who open the pier take advice from the pilot house as to whether to open the pier or not.

[Stores]

Really interesting thread and as an old member of the board I can see it from both sides of the argument - Davey and his "I've loads of experience and I'm thinking of me" and Alan Charlton and his "Been there, seen it, done it but I'm older now and the family and grandkids are more important" stance.
My point is that both Davey and Alan are both good at the decisions they have made - they have both fished for donkeys years and they're both still here. Don't let anybody fool you that neither of them have taken chances over the years - they both have, as have the rest of us who fish in bad weather. Let me give you the latest example.............

NESA comp....tat about a bit until near to the bottom of the tide when I want to be in the Slatey Gut.....crap night, wind and rain in your face but the chance of winning the comp. My favourite spot is well known, it's in the book, but the tide's bigger and the roll is large so to try and negate the latter and maximise the former I plonk myself beyond the sloping rock and cast to the right of the rock in the way. Unfortunately the flat skeers normally fished off don't exist beyond the rock so it's careful plodging until I find a suitable base to cast from. As soon as the tide starts to flood, and on a big tide that's like a cannon shot, I'm up to my knees and working my way back through unforgiving ground. If something goes wrong then it's the same scenario as Tynemouth pier or Roker or anywhere else. The sea shows litle mercy.
Davey's still here, as is Alan because they've weighed up the risk to the benefits. If they get it wrong, like the rest of us, they suffer the consequences.
The problem, as I see it, is the anglers who don't know the risk, therefore don't do the (aaaah) risk assessment before they set out.
If I get washed away in Cullercoats Harbour it won't be my fault - it'll be a greater force proving my judgement wanting and that'll be my fault - no compensation necessary.

[Davyred]

Great post Dave.

[Stores]

Just read my last sentence.......bugg**.. but I think you know what I mean