Lifesavers and lifeguards ready for summer
Fri 14 November 2008
Alice Campion, Journalism
Local lifesavers and lifeguards will increase the safety of beachgoers on the Sunshine Coast this summer through the implementation of extra measures.
The Sunshine Coast Daily says in an article that last summer 4000 rescues were carried out and 200,000 warnings given on Sunshine Coast beaches.
Surf Life Saving Queensland volunteers issued the warnings to those who swam outside the red and yellow flags.
Another Sunshine Coast Daily article noted that 17 of the 4000 rescues and 1300 of the 200,000 warnings issued were in just one day of “horror” surf.
Noosa Mai
n Beach, a popular spot for locals and tourists over the Christmas holidays, will be one of many beaches in the area to have extra lifeguards and equipment ready for summer.
Noosa Heads Surf Club patron and past president of 15 years Ron Lane says the Surf Club runs patrols on weekends and public holidays.
“They run by a roster, with two patrols on a Saturday and two on a Sunday, with anything between 10 and 12 people on one patrol,” Mr Lane says.
As there are already a significant number of lifesavers on each patrol, the Surf Club will not be increasing its number of lifesavers, but will boost the number of mobile patrols over the holidays.
Mr Lane says the mobile, or roving, patrols means the lifesavers use jet skis and inflatable rescue boats (IRBs) to check on smaller, unpatrolled beaches.
“We extend our courtesy roving patrols where they go around to the North Shore river mouth and sometimes they go around to the national park,” Mr Lane says.
“These patrols are a courtesy that we extend to the public.”
Mr Lane also says that, while there is sufficient equipment at the ready, depending on the size of the surf and the number of people on the beach the patrol captain will set out extra rescue boards down the beach in case they are needed.
“In cases of big surf, there is extra equipment on standby,” Mr Lane says.
A 2005 Department of Emergency services media release addresses the issue of the dangers of swimming at Alexandria Bay.
The release says that after numerous tragic drownings at the bay, located just north of Sunshine Beach, there is a need for a communication device at Alexandria Bay between both the Sunshine Beach and Noosa Surf Clubs.
The release also says the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the then Noosa Shire Council approved the installation of safety signage at the entrance to the bay.
The Bay Post published an article in October 2008 saying the emergency radio was installed about a year ago.
The article notes Byron Mills of Surf Life Saving Queensland says between 15 and 18 lives have been saved since the installation of the emergency radio.
The installation of the emergency radio has meant that lifeguard and lifesaving services have been able to act efficiently in response to those experiencing difficulties in the water.
“If someone is in trouble at Alexandria Bay someone there will usually ring the alarm, and the patrol captain will send his IRB or jet ski there straight away,” Mr Lane says.
The Sunshine Coast Daily published an article in September 2008 which highlights the latest rescue at Alexandria Bay.
The article says that a lifeguard was called from the emergency radio and used a jet ski to save a 40-year-old man.
Sunshine Coast Regional Council Lifeguard Service field supervisor Luke Grice says lifeguards patrol main beaches from Monday to Friday all year round.
“We patrol Noosa, Noosa West, Sunshine Beach and Peregian,” Mr Grice said.
Smaller beaches such as Sunrise Beach and North Peregian are patrolled by the lifeguard service seven days a week over the September and Christmas school holidays.
Mr Grice says that over the Christmas holidays the council lifeguard service employs extra staff and the smaller beaches have access to more rescue equipment on weekends.
“At Noosa there’s three of us, there’ll be four of us over the holiday period,” Mr Grice says.
Sunshine Beach and Peregian Beach will also see an increase in lifeguards over the Christmas break.
Mr Grice says that Sunrise Beach and North Peregian have one lifeguard each over the holidays, and the extra staff at Peregian and Sunshine Beaches are to help out the lifeguards at the smaller beaches if needed.
“The theory behind it all is there are three guys at Sunshine so they can back up the Sunrise [lifeguards],” Mr Grice says.
The extra staff are also used as lunch covers so that at all times there is a sufficient number of lifeguards looking out for beachgoers.
As for extra equipment, jet skis from Sunshine and Peregian Beaches are sent to Sunrise Beach and North Peregian on the weekends as the Surf Clubs and lifesavers do the weekend patrols.
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