On the 2020 October long weekend, record numbers of beachgoers flocked to Stanwell Park, with Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving Club recording 8000 beach visitors on the Sunday and Monday. That’s more than seven times last year’s total – in 2019, 1100 people visited on those two days. It’s “a massive increase”, said Steven McDonald, president of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC.
In the summer of Covid-19, if those record numbers continue, it will put immense pressure on our volunteer life savers, who patrol the region’s beaches on Sundays and public holidays.
Can they cope? “We need more volunteers to ease the load, that is true,” Steven said.
“We are looking for previous members to come back and patrol during the busy periods, and have started a recruitment campaign on social media and through direct contact with previous members to do that.
“SLSNSW has given the club some additional funding as Covid support to its members – the club reduced membership fees for Nippers and Active Patrolling Members using this funding.
“No additional funding has been made available by local government or state government that is additional at this stage.” Steven shared the following information from Steven Pearce, CEO at Surf Life Saving NSW: “SLSNSW was expecting a significant visitation to all NSW beaches over the long weekend … “Across NSW we saw a significant increase in visitation with, at many locations, over a 300% increase in people swimming between the red and yellow flags.
Concerningly we saw approximately an 800% increase in people swimming outside the red and yellow flags in unpatrolled locations.
“This summer will be a huge summer for beach visitations, and it is so important, in fact, life saving important, that people swim at patrolled locations where our lifesavers or lifeguards are on duty.” Wollongong City Council has more than 80 professional lifeguards patrolling beaches this season.
“Our Lifeguards will monitor crowd numbers regularly and where necessary will encourage social distancing through signage and public announcements,” a spokesperson said.
“We have plans in place to support our beach operations and will work closely with NSW Police across the summer, including if a beach was to exceed crowd capacity or if beachgoers we not following COVID-safe practices.
“Each of Council’s 17 patrolled beaches has a different crowd capacity guide estimated on allowing 4 square metres per person across a typical patrolling area.
“It’s going to be a busy summer… “Remember that No Flag means No Swim.” In October’s 2508 District News, UNSW’s Professor Rob Brander, head of a beach-safety education program called The Science of the Surf, wrote about challenges ahead, including huge crowds; restriction-weary people swimming at unpatrolled beaches; the dangers of bystander rescues; and the risks for infrequent beachgoers unaware of common hazards, such as rips.
“Covid-19 has created a perfect storm that could make beaches more popular than ever and raise the risk of drowning,” he wrote.
“Are we going to love our beaches to death? I truly hope not, but I think it will be more important than ever this summer to think about beach safety … ” Want to volunteer as a life saver this season? Turn to page 44 to find out more.
