Rebecca Jodie CURTIS-SMALL · Prevention of Future Deaths report

On the 31st December 2013 I commenced an investigation into the death of Rebecca Jodie CURTIS-SMALL, aged 42. The investigation concluded with an inquest held on 9th October 2014. The conclusion of the inquest was Accident – On the 31st December 2013 the Deceased was in the water with her family at Croyde Bay, North Devon, when she suffered in difficulties due to sea conditions and a rip tide. After a search involving Lifeboats, Coastguards and Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopter lasting 1½ - 1¾ hours at 1302 hours the Deceased was airlifted to North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple where she died from I(a) Drowning and Hypothermia.

1. Circumstances of the death. The deceased and her family had gone swimming in Croyde Bay in North Devon on 31st December 2013. A rip tide had taken the deceased out to sea and as a result, a full scale search was instigated involving the coastguard service, search and rescue helicopters and both the RMIL all-weather lifeboat and the inshore lifeboat. The sea conditions were difficult with a large swell and high waves. The search lasted approximately 1 hour 45 minutes until the deceased was found on the shoreline and taken by helicopter to the North Devon District Hospital where rewarming and resuscitation attempts were commenced but stopped after one hour. During the Inquest reference was made to the signs displayed at Croyde beach which the family claimed they had not seen. Those signs refer to potential hazards including rip currents. The Inquest was told by HM Coastguards that these were the prescribed RNLI signs. The evidence of the coastguards were that the signs could perhaps be better displayed because the warning part of the sign could not be seen on the entrance to the beach as the sign was erected parallel to the slipway entrance onto the beach. The Inquest was told that there are three rip tides at Croyde, one on either side of the bay nearest the rocks and one towards the centre where there is a sand bar although this rip current would move depending upon sea conditions.

1. That the appropriate signage is displayed in a way that can easily be seen on each of the entrances to the beach.
2. Whether the sign could refer to any specific riptide hazards known of at the beach in order to warn members of the public using the beach at different times of the year and different states of the tide, that rip tides would be more hazardous.