New mobile app helps you stay safe at the seaside with MCS advice on water quality
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has launched a new ‘beach finder’ mobile app to make it easy for anyone heading to the seaside this summer to find their nearest lifeguarded beach.
The ‘RNLI beach finder’ app (available free on both Android and Apple devices), locates the user’s position and then lists the nearest lifeguarded beaches, as well as providing important information on water quality provided by Marine Conservation Society; a description of the beach; the lifeguards’ patrol dates and times, and hazard information specific to each beach, such as whether it has big waves, strong winds, tidal cut off points or rip currents. Users can also plan their trip to the beach by typing a postcode or town into the app’s search function to find lifeguarded beaches in that area.
Real-time weather information and a five-day forecast for each location is also included with the app – ideal for anyone wondering whether they’ll need to bring out their suncream or waterproofs!
As well as the handy safety-related features, the app also has some extra ‘fun’ features – perfect to try out once you’re relaxing at your chosen beach. These include the ability to enter the RNLI’s sandcastle competition to be in with a chance of winning a weekend for a family of four at the
RNLI lifeguards responded to 15,625 incidents, helped 17,671 people and saved 84 lives on some of the
‘Throughout the summer, the RNLI’s advice for anyone planning a trip to the coast is to choose a lifeguarded beach, particularly if you’re planning to go in the water, because you’re much safer when you have highly-trained lifesavers looking out for you.
‘There are over 250 lifeguarded beaches around the
‘Obviously days at the coast are meant to be fun, so we’ve included some extra features which people can play with once they’re at the beach, such as the ability to submit a photo of your sandcastle for entry into our sandcastle competition, or send virtual postcards to friends and family.’
