Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
21–30 of 136 posts
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#22Many moons ago I visited Jersey (the one in the English Channel). One of the many highlights was visiting La Corbière[1], a lighthouse only accessible via a causeway that is submerged at high tide[2, 3]. Fascinating place.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Corbi%C3%A8re
[2] https://www.google.com/maps/@49.1806882,-2.2470043,3a,75y,22...
[3] https://www.google.com/maps/@49.18135,-2.2449889,3a,75y,243....
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#23OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/7476127#map=13/51.573... Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Broomway
routing ( be careful ) :
https://www.openstreetmap.org/directions?engine=graphhopper_...
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#24It might be more honest and less surprising for the title to read: "Offshore path through tidal flats has killed 100+ people" I also recall another similar place in France where the path has small artificial posts/concrete piers built so that anyone caught out can climb to safety.
There's also a path through tidal flats to the island of Lindisfarne in extreme Northeast England. (There's also a causeway for cars although that is covered at high tide as well.) People do need to get rescued every now and then.
It's a great trip, but you need to time your visit to the tides or you'll regret it. My wife studied Old Germanic languages, so a visit to Holy Isle was a must-do. We stayed in a nearby inn so we could leave when the tide was running out.
If you're in the north-east of England it's absolutely a wonderful thing to do.
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#25By the way, I wonder if there is something about liability in English law that enables this to continue to stay open and posted as a path?
I would imagine that in the US, liability would quickly force local government / whoever to take down the signposts, as they "entice" people to think there is a safe, established path and should risk their lives and are probably somewhat liable for the result.
I guess there aren't many places like this in the US, so it's hard to say whether there's a similar case. Maybe the Grand Canyon or something. Or off-slope skiing.
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#26Things that look and feel like something you've done a thousand times, and may do a thousand times again with no danger. Except that sometimes, things can change very quickly.
There's a creek bed near me that dried out almost completely over the summer; usually there's some water flow and occasional shallow pools where small fish live. While it was completely dry, I wanted to walk as far downstream as I could. I woke up the Saturday morning I planned to do it to the sound of torrential downpour. As recently as that Thursday, there was no rain in the forecast. I can only imagine if the downpour was sudden, and a few hours later.
As it happens, after the downpour I went to see the creek, and it was flowing quite rapidly at a depth of about 3 feet, well more than enough to sweep someone away never to be seen again.
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#27By the way, I wonder if there is something about liability in English law that enables this to continue to stay open and posted as a path? I would imagine that in the US, liability would quickly force local government / whoever to take down the signposts, as they "entice" people to think there is a safe, established path and should risk their lives and are probably somewhat liable for the result. I guess there aren't…
Historical British footpaths do actually have legal protections. Rights of way[0] belong to the people and are public property. Here's a Tom Scott talking about it (kinda)[1]
[0]: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Rights_of_way_in_England_and_Wal... [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dYc0Ouxhx0
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#28This is where the sea re-claimed Doggerland.
I love that phenomenon, that this was simply a way down to the Doggerland plains once. Probably hundreds, maybe thousands, of hunters, gatherers and anglers. They've specifically found wooden fish hooks, perhaps showing that as the sea levels rose people were constantly fishing along the new coast line.
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#29Things that look and feel like something you've done a thousand times, and may do a thousand times again with no danger. Except that sometimes, things can change very quickly. There's a creek bed near me that dried out almost completely over the summer; usually there's some water flow and occasional shallow pools where small fish live. While it was completely dry, I wanted to walk as far downstream as I could. I woke…
As soon as it started raining, wouldn't you have just gotten out of the creek via the nearest embankment?
Re: Desolate English path has killed more than 100 people (2017)
#30Things that look and feel like something you've done a thousand times, and may do a thousand times again with no danger. Except that sometimes, things can change very quickly. There's a creek bed near me that dried out almost completely over the summer; usually there's some water flow and occasional shallow pools where small fish live. While it was completely dry, I wanted to walk as far downstream as I could. I woke…
As soon as it started raining, wouldn't you have just gotten out of the creek via the nearest embankment?
In Arizona, it could be raining upstream and you don't notice it - till the flash flood comes.