Dying to save lives

Eurobodalla Shire Council will team up with lifeguards and use sea dye to identify rips at Malua Bay Beach, South Broulee Beach, Surf Beach and One Tree Beach at Tuross Head on January 7.

Lifeguarding Services Australia and Surf Lifesaving Australia will be involved in the exercise, starting at 10am.

With 18 drownings in NSW waterways this holiday period, lifeguards are hoping the demonstration will bring attention to the importance of swimming at patrolled beaches.

Lifeguard Services Australia chief lifeguard Stan Wall said the exercise was an important step in keeping the Eurobodalla’s drowning toll at zero these holidays.

“We’ve had no fatalities here in the Eurobodalla and we’re trying to educate the public so it stays that way,” he said.

“Last year we did 42 rescues on local beaches, the overwhelming majority of these were rip-related - people swimming outside the flags or people refusing directions from lifeguards to move to the flagged areas.

“To help raise public awareness, we will release dye into the water at 10am to highlight the path of rips so people can clearly see how the rip currents travel.

“Local lifeguards will be there at each beach to explain what the currents and rips are doing as the dye spreads.”

Mr Wall urged the public to get behind the exercise.

“We’re encouraging locals and visitors to come down and have a look at this rare opportunity,” he said.

“The message is clear: Be rip aware and swim between the flags at patrolled beaches this summer.”

Further sea-dye demonstrations will take place on eight of the the shire’s beaches on Australia Day.