Local lifeguards have notified authorities of 16 rescues over four weeks on beaches from Pacific Palms up to Crowdy Head, many of which could have been avoided if swimmers had been doing the right things.
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“Those rescued include tourists and locals. This relatively low number is thanks to the outstanding efforts of our Australia Llifeguard Service (ALS) lifeguards who have performed hundreds of preventative actions every day to keep our beach goers safe and minimise the need to perform a rescue,” said the ALS’ local lifeguard supervisor Warren Keegan.
With large numbers of swimmers hitting the beaches to escape the heat, he said “we have had a very busy but thankfully relatively safe summer holidays thus far.”
“This is in a time where he have had such a high incidence (22) of drownings nationally since Christmas.”
He commented that the period between Christmas and New Year was the busiest, with the constant big issue faced by the service is people not swimming between the flags and getting caught in rips located outside them. “These flags mark the safest part of the beach and where our lifeguard supervision is the greatest. This does not include swimming next to the flagged area. Sometimes swimming just outside the flagged area can be quite dangerous particularly where we have a narrow sandbank and rip currents located on either side.
“A number of rescues have been the result of beach goers choosing to swim adjacent to the flagged area where rips are located.”
He also urged parents maintain constant supervision and close proximity to their children in the water at all times.
“As you can understand, it doesn't take long for a child to get into difficulty in the surf. Parents need to be reminded to supervise their children at all times and if the child is not competent in the surf or of a good swimming ability, to be close by in case they get into difficulty.
“A number of our rescues have been the result of parents not supervising their child adequately and the child/children getting into difficulty.”