National Coasteering Charter

Private and voluntary organisations · Professional membership body

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First report 13 Oct 2023•Latest report 13 Oct 2023

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports: 1
Published responses: 100%
Concerns addressed: 5
Stated actions: 10

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from National Coasteering Charter linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

13 Oct2023
Dorset
Concerns raised5
1. Failure to address lone-guiding risks in coasteering guidance
2. Failure to assess prospective participants’ swimming ability and physical fitness during coasteering booking
3. Failure to ensure adequate guide staffing for coasteering groups
1. Failure to disclose the nature and potential physical demands of the proposed coasteering experience at booking
2. Unavailability of an immediately accessible means of summoning emergency services for the lead guide
Actions described in response 4
1. Action
  Produce a final updated Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document incorporating consultation responses and advice.
2. Action
  Add key learning points from the report to the NCC Guide Award through updates to Guide Award providers.
3. Action
  Consult NCC members by email and through a committee-led working group on updates to the Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document.
1. Action
  Produce a final updated Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document incorporating member consultation responses and advice.
AI-generated summary

Iain Richard Farrell · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Iain Richard Farrell became breathless and exhausted during a led coasteering activity on 26 May 2019, was swept back into the sea by a large wave after reaching a ledge, and was later confirmed deceased despite resuscitation efforts. The principal concerns were the risks of lone guiding, the delayed access to the sole means of communication, and the absence of assessment of participants’ swimming ability and physical fitness during booking.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to National Coasteering Charter; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to address lone-guiding risks in coasteering guidance
Wider context from the report
“i. There are specific risks associated with “lone guiding” in coasteering, as detailed above. Highlighting these risks in NCC guidance will assist coasteering providers and guides in formulating effective and practical risk assessments to mitigate those risks; ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to National Coasteering Charter; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to assess prospective participants’ swimming ability and physical fitness during coasteering booking
Wider context from the report
“iv. At the time of booking a coasteering experience, the nature and potential physical demands of the experience at the coasteering location proposed should be made clear and a prospective participant should be asked about their swimming ability and physical fitness. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to National Coasteering Charter; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to ensure adequate guide staffing for coasteering groups
Wider context from the report
“ii. Given the risks associated with lone guiding, consideration should be given to the NCC guidance promoting that two guides should be the minimum allocated to any coasteering group. Where a provider departs from the guidance and allocates a single guide, they should be directed to ensure they can demonstrate additional safety measures they have adopted to mitigate the risks associated with lone guiding, including but not limited to how the safety needs of the participants are met if the guide becomes incapacitated, or if a participant becomes incapacitated requiring the full attention of the guide. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to National Coasteering Charter; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Failure to disclose the nature and potential physical demands of the proposed coasteering experience at booking
Wider context from the report
“iv. At the time of booking a coasteering experience, the nature and potential physical demands of the experience at the coasteering location proposed should be made clear and a prospective participant should be asked about their swimming ability and physical fitness. ”
Open source report
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to National Coasteering Charter; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Unavailability of an immediately accessible means of summoning emergency services for the lead guide
Wider context from the report
“iii. Consideration should be given to the NCC guidance making it clear that a lead guide should have with them, or within immediate reach, access to a means of communication with which to summon the emergency services, for example a mobile phone, or where there is known to be no mobile phone reception, a VHF radio. ”
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Produce a final updated Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document incorporating consultation responses and advice.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The current NCC document, ‘Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers 2015 Version 3’ will be updated to address the 4 points raised as concerns by the Coroner in Section 5.2 i-iv in the Prevention of Future Deaths report. The rewrite will also update the 2015 version with other practices and advice that may have changed since the writing of the original advice with an aim of continuing to promote safe coasteering.”

Source location
Response from National Coasteering Charter
Page 1 · response
Published 1 November 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Add key learning points from the report to the NCC Guide Award through updates to Guide Award providers.

Verbatim wording from the response
“Action Item | How | When Provided NCC members with the information in the report | This will be shared with members at our AGM | 16th November 2023, (completed) Consultation with our membership regarding the Updates to the document ‘Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers’ | Via email and a working group led by the committee. | Consultation to start January 2024 Produce an updated final version of the document ‘Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers’ | Committee working group taking on responses and consultation advice from members | 1st March 2024 Provide updates to members ahead of the 2024 season on the changes made | Via regional representative meetings | March - April 2024 (Start of season) Add key learning points to our NCC Guide Award | Via updates to our Guide Award Providers | March - April 2024 (Start of season)”

Source location
Response from NCC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 November 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Consult NCC members by email and through a committee-led working group on updates to the Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The current NCC document, ‘Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers 2015 Version 3’ will be updated to address the 4 points raised as concerns by the Coroner in Section 5.2 i-iv in the Prevention of Future Deaths report. The rewrite will also update the 2015 version with other practices and advice that may have changed since the writing of the original advice with an aim of continuing to promote safe coasteering.”

Source location
Response from NCC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 November 2023
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Produce a final updated Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers document incorporating member consultation responses and advice.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The current NCC document, ‘Safety Advice for Coasteering Providers 2015 Version 3’ will be updated to address the 4 points raised as concerns by the Coroner in Section 5.2 i-iv in the Prevention of Future Deaths report. The rewrite will also update the 2015 version with other practices and advice that may have changed since the writing of the original advice with an aim of continuing to promote safe coasteering.”

Source location
Response from NCC
Page 1 · response
Published 1 November 2023
Open published response

Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Concerns raised5

Failure to address lone-guiding risks in coasteering guidance

Failure to assess prospective participants’ swimming ability and physical fitness during coasteering booking

Failure to ensure adequate guide staffing for coasteering groups

Failure to disclose the nature and potential physical demands of the proposed coasteering experience at booking

Unavailability of an immediately accessible means of summoning emergency services for the lead guide

Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4

Actions described in response 4