BY GABRIEL PRINCEWILL
Once again, stupidity has reared its ugly head leading to the death of two youngsters in Brighton following a dare by their friends. Dan Nicholls and Freddie Reynolds of Buckingham place took up a pathetically dumb dare by his shortsighted friends to stand by the sea yesterday, on a night when gales where particularly strong. Of the five friends who went out to the sea front, Dan took up the immature and thoughtless dare to stand at the water’s edge when he was hit by a wave knocking him off his feet and taking him off the sea. Horrified by the scene unfolding before their eyes, two of his friends dived in to rescue rescue Dan, but were also swept out by the vicious waves.
Last year, 22 year old Ross Cummins and 19 year old Jonny Byrne were found floating in a River at Milton Bridge after jumping in a River as part of a £10 dare in a neck nomination drinking game. Across the atlantic in France also in 2014 similar creativity was merged with madness when another 19 year old had died after driving his bicycle into a pool in the western Brittany region, France whilst his stupid friend filmed him in what emerged to have been a facebook dare with rewards of a restaurant dinner for anyone brave enough to do so. Another youth was injured for life after diving headfirst shallow water near Calais in the North of France.
Helicopters and weather lifeboats searched the entire coverage of the sea all night to no avail before giving up hope around 4.30 am.
Dares that have serious risks to personal safety have long been considered fun for fools, and it is alarmingly shocking when youngsters who ostensibly have a lot to live for fall prey to such childish temptations without contemplating the potential fatal consequences. It begs the question as to whether these kids have sand or sense in their brains. The heartless pain their tragic demise would cause their families is unthinkable and sad stories like this are a grim reminder of the importance of not mixing in bad crowds. Immaturity and an abysmal lack of foresight has been the cause of several deaths since time immemorial, and their repetition is only indicative of the fact that when blind people follow blind people, they will always fall into the ditch.
Individuals who dare their friends to do dangerous things are not real friends, they are stupid enemies in disguise. Those who fall for the bait and actually undertake a stupid dare are even more stupid and inadvertently affirm the old adage that birds of the same feather flock together. Only last year, Austin Clarke from Lakeside county in Eastleigh was challenged to swim from one side to the other and was filmed by both his friend and his sister whilst undertaking the crazy dare under freezing conditions. The cold temperatures triggered major spasms which restricted blood supply to his heart and caused him to pass out. And one can be sure this will not be the last death to result from a stupid dare suggested by a stupid person.
