Surf’s up for Council lifeguards and volunteers from local surf lifesaving clubs, with all major local beaches patrolled throughout the two weeks of the school holidays.
According to Council’s Manager of Recreation and Buildings Liam Bulley, a major component of the lifeguard service is teaching beachgoers about surf safety.
“The preventative actions such as lifeguards instructing swimmers to move between the flags or occasionally closing the beach due to unsafe conditions are a really important part of ensuring the beaches are safe.
“If people heed the safety message and ensure that they only swim between the flags on patrolled beaches, then we are all doing our part to reduce the number of dangerous and dramatic rescues,” said Mr Bulley.
Council’s lifeguards will patrol Town Beach every day from 9am till 4.30pm and Flynn’s Beach Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm.
Lighthouse Beach, Bonny Hills Beach and North Haven Beach will be patrolled during the school holidays between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday. Weekend patrols are provided by surf lifesaving volunteers.
“Last season we recorded more than 320,000 people enjoying our beaches, lifeguards were kept busy with 83 rescues and 1873 preventative actions.
“If all beach users obey the directions of Council’s lifeguards and surf lifesaving volunteers at all times and if people follow the rules and allow the trained staff to do their jobs, we will hopefully have a fatality-free swimming season,” Mr Bulley said.
