Following a spate of deaths around Cornwall’s coast in recent weeks, Porthleven Coastguard has teamed up with holiday letting agencies to help provide safety advice directly to holidaymakers.

The team is providing equipping holiday homes with safety information in the form of leaflets, detailing some of the high risk situations visitors may face and how to keep themselves and their loved ones out of harm’s way.

The coastguards are regularly out in force when sea conditions are considered dangerous, but can find it hard to get the safety message across to visitors who may only be staying for a week and have little experience with the how quickly the situation can change on Porthleven’s beaches and in the sea.

Chris Strike, from the Porthleven team, said: “The last week or two has seen some tragic stories of lives lost on our coast, in Cornwall and around the country, headlining across the national media.

“Porthleven Coastguard would like to encourage both the locals and the many, many tourists that visit our beautiful area to enjoy our coastline safely.

“We hope that by including these simple safety cards in with local holiday let information, we can target the message effectively. We are here as your coastal emergency service and ready to help but, please, take note of advice and stay safe on our coast.”

Porthleven Coastguard Rescue Team is trained in rope rescue, water rescue and searching for missing people, and Mr Strike said that many people got caught out on the area’s “perilous cliffs and deceptively treacherous waters” each year.

“We sincerely thank the local holiday let companies for joining with us in our endeavour,” he added.

So far four major local holiday companies from the village and surrounding area have agreed to distribute the leaflets and information to their properties, including Porthleven Harbour Cottages, Aspects Holidays, Above Beach Cottages and Porthleven Holiday Cottages.

Coastguard advice includes:

Make sure to check weather and tides before setting out

Wear appropriate clothing and footwear

Be responsible about alcohol consumption

Go to a lifeguarded beach and stay within the flagged area

Swim only within your depth and parallel to the shore, particularly if you get caught in a rip current; stay calm, raise your hand and shout for help

Stay away from cliff edges that can be crumbly or slippery when wet, and keep dogs on leads if near to one

Do not attempt to rescue a dog which is being swept out to sea, as many dogs return to shore alive but some owners do not; instead call the coastguard on 999

Do not attempt to climb up or down cliffs unless properly equipped and trained to do so

If you get into difficulty, call 999 and ask for the coastguard