Two young children were found on a beach, struggling against an incoming tide, while their mother left them to go shopping. The boys were found on a sandbank at an islet off Hilbre island, near West Kirby. Some members of their family were found searching for the children further up the beach.
The children were unharmed in the incident fortunately but the idea of taking children of such a young age to the beach, the children were aged four and five respectively, and leaving them unattended seems like an accident waiting to happen.
The beach’s lifeguard supervisor Tim Fowler told the BBC that he was ‘shocked’ to find the boys unattended.
The children were neck deep in water when discovered and the incident could have been a lot worse. The children could have easily suffered injuries, or even drowned, out on the sandbanks. It seems obvious but the best way to keep your children safe and protected is to supervise them properly.
This doesn’t guarantee their safety as children, particularly younger ones, are eager to explore and challenge boundaries but it provides a springboard to keep them safe. As children, they are not going to be as vigilant of danger as an adult would be. It was clearly negligent behaviour for the children’s mother to leave them to their own devices on a beach which contained an estimated 2,000 people this Sunday. With that many people around they are obviously going to be difficult to relocate.
Head lifeguard at the beach, Tony Jones, has issued a warning, stating ‘ …if you are bringing your youngsters down to the beach- stay with them. Don’t take your eyes off them’.
