6 Die as Storms Pound British Coast, Stir Up Dangerous Rip Currents

Pam Wright
Published: August 23,2016



 

Stormy conditions and dangerous rip currents off the coast of the Britain over the weekend led to the deaths of six people.
On Saturday, Joy Godfray, 30, drowned while swimming off the coast of Jersey. According to the Independent, Godfray was swimming with another man during a storm near Green Island around 8:30 p.m. Saturday when the two were caught up in a dangerous rip current. The man was rescued by onlookers at the beach and a lifeboat located the body of the woman, according to RNLI St Helier.
Five others have died along British coastline over the weekend because of stormy weather and high seas.
According to the Guardian, Rudy Bruynius, originally from South Africa but living in London, died Saturday after he, his wife, Lisinda, and their 2-year-old daughter, McKayla, were caught in a giant wave at Fistral Beach on the north-west coast of Cornwall.
(MORE: Dangerous Rip Currents and How To Stay Safe at the Beach)

Surfers wait in the sea as large waves crash onto rocks near Padstow, North Cornwall, as a storm hits the Cornish coastline. Stormy weather in Cornwall, Britain on 20 Aug 2016.
(Rex Features via AP Images)

Bruynius was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Daughter McKayla remains in a critical condition.
Julie Walker, 37, and her 6-year-old son, Lucas, died in Aberdeen on Saturday after Lucas fell into the turbulent water. Sadly, Lucas' mom died trying to save her son. Another son, Samuel, 13, was hospitalised and is said to be recovering after trying to help rescue his mom and brother.
Another unidentified windsurfer in his 60s died at a hospital in Colchester after being rescued by RNLI lifeboats off the coast of West Mersea, Essex, around midday.
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A sixth victim died Saturday after being caught in "dangerous waters off a crowded beach in Poole, Dorset."
Despite attempts to revive the male victim after he was carried off in a rip current, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a spokesman for the Dorset Police Department.
Unusual Weather for This Time of Year
According to weather.com meteorologist Tom Moore, this storm was a bit unusual for August.
"This type of storm generally occurs from late September to November," Moore said. "There was an exaggerated jet stream pattern with a deep trough of low pressure in the upper atmosphere west of the U.K. along with a fast-moving jet stream. This allowed a storm system to rapidly intensify as it moved towards the northern part of Ireland. Strong southwest winds developed ahead of the strengthening storm and that also created high waves and rip currents."
Moore added that these stronger storms are common in autumn and can also develop as remnants of tropical cyclones that come around from the western Atlantic.
The upcoming days should remain calm, Moore added, although a weaker storm is "likely to pass across Scotland by Sunday."
MORE: 10 atmospheric images of England at dusk