LIFEGUARDS have a simple message for local residents and visitors to the region this festive season: ‘No flags, no swim’.
The patrol season officially started yesteday with lifeguards on patrol at Town Beach in Port Macquarie as well as Flynn’s Beach, Lighthouse Beach, Rainbow Beach (Bonny Hills), North Haven and Lake Cathie.
Beachgoers have been asked to steer clear of unpatrolled beaches because of the risks involved and to always swim between the flags at patrolled beaches.
The region’s two most popular beaches, Town Beach and Flynn’s Beach, will be patrolled between 9am and 5.30pm daily.
Council lifeguards will patrol Lighthouse Beach, Rainbow Beach (Bonnie Hills) and North Haven between 9am and 4.30pm and Lake Cathie between 9am and 3pm through until the end of January.
Council will patrol Town Beach and Lake Cathie seven days a week while volunteer surf lifesavers will patrol the other four beaches on weekends and public holidays. Patrol times at these beaches may vary.
Council senior lifeguard Grant Hudson has urged locals and visitors to the region to only swim at patrolled beaches.
“Our lifeguards are trained professionals and have the ability to deal with problems quickly and efficiently,” Mr Hudson said.
“They are also happy to chat with beachgoers and to answer questions people may have about beach conditions or surf safety.”
Besides swimming between the flags, beachgoers are also advised to never swim alone and to follow instructions at all times – whether they come from a council lifeguard (in blue) or a volunteer lifesaver (in red and yellow).
Children should be supervised at all times and people should never head into the water immediately after a meal or under the influence of alcohol of drugs.
Mr Hudson said this was particularly important for people over the Christmas-New Year period when people were in the festive spirit.
Beachgoers are also urged to take notice of any signage such as the new sign at Town Beach in Port Macquarie warning people to steer clear of the break wall because of dangerous currents.
Those people who find themselves in trouble in the water are urged not to panic but to raise an arm in the air and to signal for assistance. Mr Hudson said it was better for people to call for help as soon as they realise they are in trouble, rather than leave it too late and run the risk of becoming exhausted.
Mr Hudson has spoken to more than 4500 students at local schools over the two months in a bid to hammer home the ‘No flags, so swim’ message.
