An ‘idiot’ tourist taking a selfie on a stone pier was swept off her feet by a colossal wave – as the coastguard warned no photo was worth dying for during Storm Ciarán.
Treacherous wave alert
The alert has been issued after a number of people taking selfies were spotted strolling along the East Pier in Whitby, North Yorkshire.
One video shared on social media captured the moment a woman, branded an ‘idiot’ behind the camera, being swept off her feet by a treacherous wave on Sunday.
She is knocked to the ground by the powerful wave but scrambles to her feet just in time to avoid being swept into the cauldron-like sea.
Seconds later, she hastily starts to walk back along the pier to safety, drenched from head to toe.
Steve Hart, senior operations officer for HM Coastguard, said ‘Our advice is if there is a storm weather warning in place and if you don’t need to travel, just stay in.
Keep away from water edge
‘It’s not worth risking your life for a picture or a selfie and it’s not worth risking our volunteers lives either, who would potentially have to go out on a rescue and pull you out of the water.
‘The weather is going to be bad over the next couple of days. If there’s no need to travel or to go near the coast, just stay in.
‘Keep away from the water’s edge and keep away from any flood water. It only takes 12 inches to float a car, and to float yourself away.’
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On Tuesday, the East Pier was closed following 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 had been knocked down twice.
It also shows multiple people, including young children, walking along the pier before the coast guard storms in to rescue them from the waves on Sunday.
