• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Dangerous Vanity: Selfie-Related Deaths & Critical Injuries

Norwich landlord Ivan Brown died in pursuit of perfect photo​


A popular city landlord died a tragic death while "in pursuit of the perfect photograph" of the Himalayan mountains in India, an inquest has heard.

Ivan Brown, a longstanding landlord of the Murderers in Norwich, died while on holiday with a close friend in India earlier this year.

An inquest into his death heard that Mr Brown had electrocuted himself while attempting to steady himself using an overhead cable - which he was unaware was live.

The accident happened in the district of Chamba after the 71-year-old had clambered onto a low roof as a vantage point to take a photograph overlooking the mountain range.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23861894.norwich-landlord-ivan-brown-died-pursuit-perfect-photo/

maximus otter
 
A couple of weeks ago I was hiking from Seaford to Eastbourne, across the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. It was a warm, sunny day and swarming with tourists, especially around Birling Gap. These days, in most places the cliff edge is roped off - yet there were still plenty of (mostly) Far Eastern tourists going over the ropes and standing right on the edge of the crumbling chalk cliffs to take their selfies. I am surprised more people don't fall.
 
escargot said:
:omg:
That's what chalk cliffs do, they crumble. I've seen it done. :nods:
Click to expand...
I've seen the aftermath of massive cliff falls from both chalk and sandstone along the south coast and on the Isle of Wight... sometimes I wonder if anyone would even know if someone was caught under them. Some areas, such as Luccombe on the IoW are particularly prone to large landslips and you wouldn't want to walk too close either under or over the cliff.
 
SimonBurchell said:
I've seen the aftermath of massive cliff falls from both chalk and sandstone along the south coast and on the Isle of Wight... sometimes I wonder if anyone would even know if someone was caught under them. Some areas, such as Luccombe on the IoW are particularly prone to large landslips and you wouldn't want to walk too close either under or over the cliff.
Click to expand...

Dorset, recently:


maximus otter
 
SimonBurchell said:
I've seen the aftermath of massive cliff falls from both chalk and sandstone along the south coast and on the Isle of Wight... sometimes I wonder if anyone would even know if someone was caught under them. Some areas, such as Luccombe on the IoW are particularly prone to large landslips and you wouldn't want to walk too close either under or over the cliff.
Click to expand...
Yup, I saw a family walk along a beach close to the bottom of a cliff, where there are signs warning visitors NOT to go, when a huge chunk of rock fell off the top and landed a few yards behind them.
Pretty scary to see from a safe distance so the family must've cacked'emselves.

If that had been my ex with our kids, he'd've climbed up that cliff to hide from me in the hole the falling rock left. :nods:
 
We get a few land slippages in Filey - but they are usually only after heavy rain and/or cold snaps - for obvious reasons. They are, generally, fairly stable though.
It doesn't stop people standing on the edge of what seems to be solid. Worse still, the number of visitors who let their dogs wander near the edge, off-lead.
 
maximus otter said:
Dorset, recently:


maximus otter
Click to expand...

Not far from my manor - you'd think I'd be blasé about stomping about the cliff paths and the beaches locally, but sh*t no!

Limestone + clay + shale layers make the cliffy bits of the Dorset coast around there fall off if someone breaks wind a bit vigorously. I'll walk next to the surf, ta.

I occasionally go fishing at West bay and take my mini binos to enjoy the scenery. I've seen people sat on the fricking cliff edge swinging their legs. I've seen people trying to swim off it (not recommended, it shelves steeply and is the end bit of Chesil). Lyme Bay canoe incident anyone?

If you want to walk the cliffs keep more than a couple of feet away from the edge, and if you want to take the kids to a beach go to Weymouth.
 
AnonyJ said:
Not far from my manor - you'd think I'd be blasé about stomping about the cliff paths and the beaches locally, but sh*t no!

Limestone + clay + shale layers make the cliffy bits of the Dorset coast around there fall off if someone breaks wind a bit vigorously. I'll walk next to the surf, ta.

I occasionally go fishing at West bay and take my mini binos to enjoy the scenery. I've seen people sat on the fricking cliff edge swinging their legs. I've seen people trying to swim off it (not recommended, it shelves steeply and is the end bit of Chesil). Lyme Bay canoe incident anyone?

If you want to walk the cliffs keep more than a couple of feet away from the edge, and if you want to take the kids to a beach go to Weymouth.
Click to expand...

And would you know it... two people had to be rescued from the grey clay mud falls around Black Venn at Charmouth just a few days ago. Despite signs telling visitors not to clamber up the lower cliff areas or cliff falls in search of fossils, and that they should be looking in and around the beach rocks away from the cliffs. Getting stuck in very cold mud for an hour in February ain't a good idea!

A bit off-topic, as no selfies involved but it's a persistent issue in the area.

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/24096024.coastguard-rescue-people-mud-lyme-regis-charmouth/

"...The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) lookout at Charmouth received a call from a female saying her friend was stuck in a mudslide near Charmouth Road car park.The position was confirmed by the watchkeeper through a monoscope as being east of Lyme Regis Sea wall, approximately 100 yards from the steps.

Solent Coastguard were then alerted and by 1.55pm the original caller was told that two coastguard teams, West Bay and Lyme Regis, were enroute.

A spokesperson for the NCI said: "Both teams were on site by 2.21pm. It took just over 50 minutes to extract the casualty from the mudslide. The casualty was believed to be uninjured but was handed over to the ambulance service to be checked over."

After this call, a second person was reported trapped in mud 1km east of Charmouth at around 4pm.

The spokesperson added: "At 4.04pm Charmouth NCI lookout received a call to advise that West Bay Coastgurad Rescue Team was enroute to Charmouth as there had been a report of another member of the public stuck in a mudslide, this time on East Beach...."

1_fossil-hunters-1133129.jpg


(photo: SWNS Devon Live)
 
Last edited:
AnonyJ said:
And would you know it... two people had to be rescued from the grey clay mud falls around Black Venn at Charmouth just a few days ago. Despite signs telling visitors not to clamber up the lower cliff areas or cliff falls in search of fossils, and that they should be looking in and around the beach rocks away from the cliffs. Getting stuck in very cold mud for an hour in February ain't a good idea!

A bit off-topic, as no selfies involved but it's a persistent issue in the area.

https://www.bridportnews.co.uk/news/24096024.coastguard-rescue-people-mud-lyme-regis-charmouth/

"...The National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) lookout at Charmouth received a call from a female saying her friend was stuck in a mudslide near Charmouth Road car park.The position was confirmed by the watchkeeper through a monoscope as being east of Lyme Regis Sea wall, approximately 100 yards from the steps.

Solent Coastguard were then alerted and by 1.55pm the original caller was told that two coastguard teams, West Bay and Lyme Regis, were enroute.

A spokesperson for the NCI said: "Both teams were on site by 2.21pm. It took just over 50 minutes to extract the casualty from the mudslide. The casualty was believed to be uninjured but was handed over to the ambulance service to be checked over."

After this call, a second person was reported trapped in mud 1km east of Charmouth at around 4pm.

The spokesperson added: "At 4.04pm Charmouth NCI lookout received a call to advise that West Bay Coastgurad Rescue Team was enroute to Charmouth as there had been a report of another member of the public stuck in a mudslide, this time on East Beach...."

View attachment 73676

(photo: SWNS Devon Live)
Click to expand...
That's some cool geology in that picture!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top