Compared to the jagged Lake District peaks punching into the horizon beyond Morecambe Bay, the Bay's own smooth expanse of sand looks beguilingly tranquil.

But no-one should be lulled into a false sense of security.

As gravity sucks the Irish Sea towards the shore, the rapidly-incoming tide becomes an unstoppable and unforgiving force of nature over the Bay's 310 square miles.

Local records show 141 deaths between the late 16th century and 1880 and there have been many more since.

Victims are sucked down by quicksands and drowned by the tides that can race in faster than a man can run.

In January 2002, Stewart Rushton, 51, from Dalton-in-Furness, and his nine-year-old son Adam drowned after being trapped on a sandbank by rising tides. The pair had gone out on a fishing trip but became disorientated in fog.

Rescue workers could hear their shouts but as visibility dropped to 25 metres no one could find them.

From his mobile phone Mr Rushton was able to tell a police call handler that he was up to his neck in water and Adam was on his shoulders. But when she called him back eight minutes later, an attempt was made to answer the phone but she could hear only water.

Combined with fog or failing light the sands turn into a confusing maze of water where you do not know if your next footstep will lead you to safety or danger.

The Bay's perils include quicksands and gullies that shift on a daily basis.

And while the sands may look like a flat expanse, they are in fact a multi-faceted network of undulating sand and mud banks skirted by gullies and channels.

These might contain a couple of feet of water or a mere stream when the tide ebbs, but quickly become deep, surging rivers of seawater when it flows.

The water can cover an area the size of a football pitch in minutes as the tide rushes in with the speed of a good horse.

The North West Coastguard advises anyone venturing in to the Bay to follow the golden rules to ensure they do not become another victim of its treacherous sands.

- Always tell someone exactly where you are going and what time you will be back and leave a contact number for a mobile phone if you have one.

- Always know the weather forecast and tide times which can be obtained 24-hours-a-day on 0151-931-3341. Pocket books with tide times can be also be bought at local newsagents. Go out when the tide does and come back well before it returns - how long to allow depends on how far out you are.

- Take some form of communication like a mobile phone and a whistle.

- Be aware of how quickly the tide comes in.

- Depending on the time of year, take suitable clothing, a warm drink and snack.

- To avoid being lost in fog, carry a compass or global positioning system and a map.

- In an emergency call 999 and ask for the coastguard.

For more detailed safety advice, particularly for anglers and sailors see www.morecambebay.org.uk/PDF/safety_advice.pdf