Every year, a handful of visitors get stranded on Worm's Head off Rhossili in Gower. Despite plenty of signs warning people what time they need to leave the headland to get back to the mainland before the tide comes in, there's always some that ignore them or simply don't realise how important it is to follow the instructions!
Worm's Head is a large, hilly mass of land popular with walkers, especially as it offers an amazing view back of the beautiful Rhossili Bay and headland. At low tide it is accessible across a rocky strip of land, but the access vanishes beneath the waves once the tide comes back in.
In 2022, eight people got stranded on Worm's Head in five separate incidents - and so far this year, there's already been two incidents involving a total of five people being stranded. One incident last week was captured on video and Coastwatch volunteers' unexpected (to some) reaction shared on TikTok. Scroll down to watch the video, which has already been 'liked' more than 140,000 times.
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Working in pairs, the hard-working volunteers from the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) Worm's Head staff a small hut in the area and keep an eye on people as they explore the beautiful landscape. To get people's attention before they're stranded, they sometimes use a loud hailer, also known as a 'siren' or fog horn. You can get the biggest Swansea news stories straight to your inbox with our newsletter.
Not only do they call people back to the mainland, if they're concerned they could become stranded on Worm's Head, they also often phone HM Coastguard at Milford Haven to summon help to rescue visitors trapped by the incoming tide. The NCI volunteers also work closely with local clifftop and mountain rescuers and the RNLI.
Ultimately, if people become stranded on Worm's Head, they need to stay where they are, according to NCI Worm's Head volunteer Ernie. "The main thing is that people stay there," he said. "If you try and swim it, you'll drown." For more stories about Gower, go here.
Ernie, 74, is one of 37 active members of the NCI Worm's Head who volunteers their time every week to help keep a watchful eye on people visiting - and report anything potentially dangerous to the coastguard and other rescue agencies.
"There's a time board at the top of the cliff, it tells you when the causeway opens and closes - we tell people to take a photo of the time board on their phone so they don't have to worry about remembering it," Ernie said. "It takes about an hour and a half to walk out to the Worm, and an hour and a half back, and the causeway is only open for about four and a half hours a day, so you have to be careful [with your timings]."
Information on the NCI website further explains: "The Causeway is a scramble over rocks out to Worm's Head which is open for two and a half hours either side of low tide, and can be fatal to attempt to wade or swim to when the causeway is flooded. Disturbed waters round the Worm, connected with the tidal rise and fall, are a danger to small craft, fishing boats, coasteerers and surfers. The tidal rise is the second highest in the world, the highest is The Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, on Canada's East Coast. There are steep, dangerous cliffs."
Discussing the now-viral video of a colleague using the siren after some people became stranded on Worm's Head last week, Ernie explained: "We use the siren, the hailer, to get people's attention. We were very lucky that day that the wind was coming from the North, so it was blowing out to Worm's Head and they could hear it. We also sometimes use an aldis lamp [a very bright light], to get people's attention."
"If the Causeway is closed, people need to get back to the area where the noticeboard is - the main thing is that people stay there," he added. "If you try and cross it, you'll drown."
What is the NCI?
The National Coastwatch Institution is a voluntary organisation "keeping a visual watch on UK shores". NCI watchkeepers provide "the eyes and ears along the coast," monitor radio channels and "provide a listening watch in poor visibility". When people get into trouble, they alert HM Coastguard and other local rescue services to the casualty.
The NCI was set up in 1994 after two fishermen lost their lives off the Cornish coast near a recently closed Coastguard lookout. At the time, local people decided to open and restore the visual watch - and today there's 58 stations around the coastline of England and Wales with dedicated volunteers at each one.
"At Rhossili, we normally have two people on duty," explained Ernie. "We have two people on the morning shift from 10am to 2pm, and two on the afternoon shift from 2pm to 6pm. The NCI has been running for 28 years and we've been on Worm's Head for around 18 years.
"We watch for potential strandings and encourage people to come back - we stopped 38 people from being stranded last year after we called them back. That's 38 people that would have had to be rescued or could have drowned. If we have a potential stranding, we ring the coastguard at Milford Haven to forewarn them, then we call for them if we need them later. We also work with the cliff rescue team (CRT) and the lifeboat team."
If you see someone in difficulty or in danger off the coast, you can report it to the coastwatch or coastguard if they have one where you are. Alternatively, call 999 and report the incident that way. Unfortunately, the emergency telephone at Rhossili is still not working.
Ernie and his colleagues hope that raising awareness and educating people about the dangers of being stranded on Worm's Head will help limit the numbers of people that get stuck there. People are welcome to stop by the NCI base at Worm's Head to chat to volunteers and find out any more information. You can also follow the NCI Worm's Head on Facebook here, for the latest information and advice.
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