‘Idiot’ tourist taking a selfie is knocked over by a treacherous wave and nearly thrown over the pier wall – as the coastguard warns no picture is worth dying for
- A tourist was knocked over by heavy waves on the East Pier in Whitby
An ‘idiotic’ tourist taking a selfie on a stone pier was blown away by a colossal wave – during Storm Ciarán, the coastguard warned a photo wasn’t worth dying for.
The warning was issued after several people were seen taking selfies while walking along the East Pier in Whitby, North Yorkshire.
A video shared on social media captured the moment a woman branded an “idiot” off-camera was blown away by a treacherous wave on Sunday.
She is thrown to the ground by the powerful wave, but manages to get to her feet just in time to avoid being swept into the cauldron-like sea.
Seconds later, drenched from head to toe, she begins to hastily walk back along the pier to safety.
This is the moment an “idiotic” tourist taking a selfie on a stone pier was blown away by a colossal wave that washed over the wall of the East Pier in Whitby, North Yorkshire, on Tuesday
Steve Hart, senior operations officer at HM Coastguard, said: “Our advice is if there is a storm warning and you don’t need to travel, just stay put.”
“It’s not worth risking your life for a photo or a selfie, and it’s not worth risking the lives of our volunteers who might have to go to a rescue and pull you out of the water.”
“The weather will be bad for the next few days.” If you don’t need to travel or go near the coast, just stay indoors.
“Stay away from the edge of the water and stay away from floodwaters.” “It only takes 12 inches to levitate a car and levitate itself away.”
On Tuesday, the East Pier was closed after several incidents involving the public, including children.
Another video shared on X by The Whitby Photographer shows the woman walking on the pier and that she was knocked down twice.
It also shows several people, including small children, walking along the pier before the coast guard swooped in to rescue them from the waves on Sunday.
Another video from The Whitby Photographer
In response to a commenter who said it was “exciting” to be so close to the waves, the photographer replied: “There are times when you can do that.” [watch the waves]with relatively low risk.
“Sunday was not that day, the girl was knocked over twice and landed inches from the edge of the wall, while just 10 miles away two people were thrown into the sea from Staithes Pier. I can imagine that this wasn’t “exciting” for any of those involved, who initially thought it would be “exciting.”
With Storm Ciarán expected to bring further severe weather, people are being warned to stay away from the shore.
In South Tyneside, people are also being warned to stay away from the edge of a stretch of cliff in Marsden Bay after heavy rain caused parts of the rock face to collapse.