Busy start to summer for shire lifesavers

The most serious of the rescues happened on Christmas Day, when two men got in trouble swimming outside the flags at Malua Bay Beach.

Two bronze members of the Batemans Bay Surf Club noticed the men struggling, and assisted them to shore with the aid of a privately-owned surfboard.

One of the men required first aid, while the other was semi-conscious. Lifesavers provided the man with oxygen and recovery position treatment.

The man was fully conscious when an ambulance arrived, and was transported to Moruya hospital.

Cheryl McCarthy, director of lifesaving for the Far South Coast Branch, said the rescue was a testament to the lifesavers’ training.

“That was a great job by the Batemans Bay team,” she said. “The patrol team was also dealing with a lost child on the beach at the time, but their training kicked in and they did an amazing job.”

Lifeguarding services have also been busy, with seven rescues already this summer, including four at Dalmeny, one at North Head beach, and one in Tuross Head.

Lifeguarding Services Australia chief Stan Wall said the rescues all followed a pattern.

“They’ve all been people swimming just outside the flags,” he said. “We’re trying to get people to make sure they always swim between the flags.

“We put the flags on a sandbar, which is usually the place of least risk on the beach. We signpost rips and currents as best we can, but some rips are more easily identifiable than others.”

Mr Wall said staying safe at the beach wass of paramount importance, and shouldn’t be as difficult as it seemed.

“Out direction is always swim at a patrolled beach, and always between the flags,” he said. “Council has eight patrolled beaches during the school holidays.

“If you have any questions about water safety, don’t hesitate to speak to lifeguards. They’re always more than happy to help.”