LIFESAVERS patrolling Kingston and Frankston beaches rescued 26 people in strife at sea during the summer months.
Life Saving Victoria data shows lifeguards in the region gave first aid in 116 cases and “took 1592 preventative actions” to make beachgoers safer.
Preventative actions taken by lifeguards include giving beach safety information to visitors, talking to beachgoers about hazards and conditions and letting people know about nearby rips in the water.
Frankston lifeguards saved the majority of people from drowning – 16 – and Carrum Surf Life Saving Club lifesavers were the busiest on the rescue front in Kingston, carrying out four rescues.
Last summer 37 people were rescued off Kingston and Frankston beaches.
Life Saving Victoria data shows lifeguards in the region this year gave first aid in 116 cases and “took 1592 preventative actions” to make beachgoers safer.
Preventative actions taken by lifeguards include giving beach safety information to visitors, talking to beachgoers about hazards and conditions and letting people know about nearby rips in the water.
Frankston lifeguards saved the majority of people from drowning – 16 – and Carrum Surf Life Saving Club lifesavers were the busiest on the rescue front in Kingston, carrying out four rescues.
Carrum LSC president Ben Rooks said beaches were quieter this summer due to lower temperatures compared to the previous year’s heatwave.
“It was a lot quieter than usual but we’ve had more rescues this year than last year,” he said.
“One of them [the rescues] was a canoeist who’d been involved in an endurance race earlier that day and was so exhausted he’s fallen from his canoe and was unable to get back up on his canoe.”
Another incident involved a mother and two children adrift on an inflatable raft.
“There was a wind change and it started drifting out to sea. She wasn’t able to get it back to the beach so we ran out to them.”
Bonbeach and Mordialloc lifesaving clubs logged one rescue each between July and the end of March.
Central Port Phillip Bay rescue watercraft lifeguards were scrambled to make rescues on four occasions.
LSV lifesaving operations manager Greg Scott said proactive work by Kingston lifeguards had ensured beachgoers were safe despite a dip in visitor numbers.
“Our volunteer lifesavers and paid lifeguards have again done a fantastic job in ensuring the safety of people at Victorian beaches and I thank them for their dedication in looking out for beachgoers throughout the season.”
Mr Scott urged beach visitors to be aware of dangers at sea now the red and yellow flags have been packed up for the winter months.
“Take responsibility for your own safety by ensuring you understand the conditions, and have adequate safety equipment and the necessary skills for your activity. Most importantly, whatever you activity around or on the water, never head out alone.”
Mr Rooks has some advice for swimmers during the summer months.
“Swim between the flags even on days when conditions are pretty calm – we can’t save you if we can’t see you. It’s best to be where we are so we can get to you quickly.”
See beachsafe.org.au to download a Beachsafe app for smartphones with regularly updated beach conditions and safety information.
Lifesaving patrols will begin again in mid-November this year.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 27 May 2015
