Wild swimming: Whitby RNLI gives sea swimmers safety talk about tides and dangers after Christmas rescue incident off Yorkshire coast

Last month the crew were called out to rescue an experienced male swimmer who had been in the water between Sandsend and Whitby for over an hour. He was taken to hospital suffering from exposure.

The incident prompted the volunteers, one of whom is the founder of Whitby Wild Swimmers, to host a safety briefing event covering subjects such as tide times and correct equipment.

Crew member of five years Ally Brisby, who has swum the Channel, said: “As we found out towards the back end of last year when we rescued someone from the water, even the most experienced sea swimmers can get into difficulty.”

The other speakers were surfer Bod Marr, who talked about tide forecasts and studying the beach for clues about the sea’s condition, and water safety officer Matt Sharpe.

Mr Marr said: '”There is always more to learn about the sea, 26 years on and I am still learning every day about tide times, spring and neap tides and rip currents.”Ms Brisby also gave advice about the correct equipment to wear for both visibility and safety.

Wild swimming has seen a huge surge of popularity in recent years, particularly among women, but concerns have been raised about inexperienced participants who are unaware of local tidal and beach conditions and could get into difficulty in cold temperatures. The RNLI advises the use of tow floats.