THE SHORT MONTH that Pokémon Go has been in existence has been eventful.
There have been numerous reports of people injuring themselves, and earlier this month gardaí warned people not to use their phones to play the game while driving.
Police in the UK have now had to deal with an incident of a group standing in the sea during rough conditions in an attempt to catch water Pokémon.
Earlier this week three girls at Hastings Pier in East Sussex on the south coast of England waded into the water, ignoring a red flag warning.
Sussex Police requested assistance from the UK Coastguard at around 9.20pm on Wednesday evening after a report of three girls after receiving an initial report.
In a statement, the UK Coastguard said: “It was established that the girls were looking for Pokémon and they were advised not to go into the water again.”
Speaking about the incident, duty controller for the UK Coastguard David Jones said:
We don’t want to stop Pokémon hunters from having fun, but please be aware of your surroundings and be extra careful if you’re playing near water or the coast.
Catching a pocket fictional creature is not worth losing your life over.
A particular concern in Ireland has been players using the augmented reality game while driving their cars.
The AA warned motorists and pedestrians to take care while playing the game.
“Our advice is to use common sense, don’t throw caution to the wind and pelt across a busy road because by doing so you’re endangering your life and the lives of others,” it said.
“As for driving whilst using the app, it is seriously worrying to think that people are still taking risks despite the fact that everyone with an ounce of sense knows the dangers.
Is catching Bulbasaur worth a potential court appearance and perhaps a fine of up to €1,000?
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say