Lifeguard: Ready for the peak season

RNLI LIFEGUARDS are set to begin their peak summer safety service this weekend and are urging beach visitors in Pembrokeshire to think about their safety and ‘Respect the Water’.

From Saturday (July 1) lifeguards will be providing daily safety patrols on 12 of the county’s most popular beaches – Amroth, Saundersfoot, Tenby South, Tenby Castle, Tenby North, Freshwater West, Broad Haven, Nolton Haven, Newgale, Whitesands, Newport and Poppit – in good time for the summer school holiday period.

From July 8 there will also be a daily RNLI lifeguard service on nearby Pendine Sands.

RNLI lifeguards have already been providing a service on many of the area’s beaches in recent weeks, giving advice and assistance to beachgoers. Now Adam Pitman, RNLI Lifeguard Supervisor, expects the start of peak season to usher in a busy period for the Pembrokeshire team.

He said: ‘This time of year always sees more people venturing to the coast and enjoying our beautiful beaches. We would encourage everyone planning a trip to the seaside to visit a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags.”

From Saturday lifeguards will be on duty on all 12 Pembrokeshire beaches daily between 10am and 6pm until the end of the season on September 3.

The lifeguard service is provided in partnership with Pembrokeshire County Council. Cabinet Member for Economy, Tourism, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Paul Miller, said: “It is reassuring to see the RNLI lifeguards on the county’s beaches again for the forthcoming 2017 season. Pembrokeshire County Council, under Pembrokeshire Leisure, will continue to contribute funding and work closely with the RNLI to provide this lifesaving service.

“The presence of professional lifeguards is part of ensuring our county continues to be considered a world class tourist destination.”

RNLI lifeguards will patrol 38 beaches across Wales in 2017. Lifeguards responded to 1,271 incidents in Wales last year and rescued or assisted 1,436 people.

The RNLI is currently running its ‘Respect the Water’ drowning prevention campaign, which this year is focusing on one piece of key safety advice for anyone who finds themselves unexpectedly in cold water. Most people who die around the UK coast never expected to enter the water at all and the RNLI is urging anyone who falls into cold water to fight their instincts and remember one simple skill – floating – which could save lives from drowning.

Adam added: “We often rely on our instincts but our instinctive response to sudden immersion in cold water – gasping, thrashing and swimming hard – is potentially a killer. It increases the chances of water entering your lungs, increases the strain on your heart, cools the skin further and lets air escape from any clothing, which then reduces buoyancy.

“Although it’s counter-intuitive, the best immediate course of action in that situation is to fight your instinct and try to float or rest, just for a short time. The effects of cold water shock will pass quite quickly, within 60–90 seconds. Floating for this short time will let you regain control of your breathing and your survival chances will greatly increase.”

For more information and advice on all aspects of beach and coastal safety visit the RNLI’s Respect the Water campaign website at https://rnli.org/safety/respect-the-water