Volunteer surf lifesavers and professional lifeguards are bracing for a long and challenging patrol season, after a spate of tragedies at local beaches last season.
The annual Coast Safe Report, compiled by Surf Life Saving Queensland, was on Thursday released on the Sunshine Coast, where 10 of the state’s 14 beach-related drowning deaths occurred from September 2022 to May 2023.
Beach patrols expect even busier beaches this coming season, amid hot conditions associated with a possible El Nino (warming of the Pacific Ocean).
Local lifesaving operations manager Aaron Purchase urged swimmers to stay safe.
“Traditionally, we see more people at the beach and in the water during hotter and drier summers,” he said.
“If they become complacent and stray from the red and yellow flags, they can very quickly get into trouble, sometimes with tragic consequences.”
He said people can be caught out by seemingly calm conditions.
“They enter the water or swim out a bit further than their ability should allow, thinking it’s safe, (but) they can easily miss the hidden dangers, like rips. Our advice is always to stick to patrolled areas where lifeguards and lifesavers can see them.”
His warning comes off the back of some sobering statistics from last season, when a torrent of people swam outside the red and yellow flags.
There were 10-beach related drownings, which were all from outside the flags. Some of them included a 27-year-old French backpacker, who died after being pulled from the surf at Coolum Beach; a 27-year-old woman from Brisbane, who could not be revived after being pulled from the water at Happy Valley; and a 21-year-old Brisbane man who went missing off Teewah Beach.
SLSQ CEO Dave Whimpey said surf officials were determined to help curtail incidents, as the 2023/2024 patrol season starts this weekend.
“The 2023 Coast Safe Report provides our volunteer lifesavers and lifeguards with some increased areas of focus as we continue to strive to meet our vision of zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters,” he said via a SLSQ media release.
“These include increasing roving patrols, educating beachgoers about the importance of staying between the red and yellow flags, and targeting black spot locations.
“We will also continue to invest in our membership so they can provide the community with increased services and capability.”
Volunteer lifesavers patrol at major beaches at busy times of the year and lifeguard patrols occur year-round.
Sunshine Coast Council Community Portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said council’s $5.8m support for lifeguard services, operated by SLSQ, would be particularly important in coming months.
It will provide 34 permanent lifeguards, two supervisors, a chief lifeguard and a casual pool of up to 96 lifeguards during peak season, across 22 patrolled beach locations.
“It also provides our professional lifeguards with vital equipment they need to perform their duties including jet skis, rescue boards, flags, first aid kits and portable surveillance cameras for high-risk locations,” he said.
A number of other improvements will be made to lifeguard services in the region this season.
Among the most notable changes is a relocation of a lifeguard service that operates during Queensland school holidays from September to Easter, from Golden Beach (beach access 317) to Happy Valley (beach access 293).
Sunshine Coast areas patrolled by lifeguards
- All year: Kings Beach, Dicky Beach, Mooloolaba Main and Spit, Alexandra Headland, Maroochydore, Twin Waters, Mudjimba, Discovery Beach and Coolum.
- Seasonal (seven days a week between September holidays to May, plus weekends, school and public holidays during winter): Bulcock, Marcoola, Buddina/Kawana, Coolum North.
- Weekend/holiday (weekends, school and public holidays all year): Currimundi.
- Lower seasonal (weekends, school and public holidays from September to May): Kings Beach Pool, Boardwalk, Bokarina and Wurtulla.
- Summer holidays only (school holidays from September to May): Golden Beach, Maroochy River mouth and Yaroomba.
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