Croc signs unheeded
Warning after new sighting
A CROCODILE sighting that closed a beach on the weekend has Far North surf lifesavers calling for people to take better care heeding warnings.
Palm Cove beach reopened yesterday after it was closed on Saturday afternoon when a croc was spotted loitering in the waters offshore.
Surf Lifesaving Queensland Far North regional manager Rob Davidson said where swimmers ignored the warnings to stay out of the water, lifeguards are limited as to what they can do.
“All we can do is advise people, but when a beach is shut down, we go out of our way to make sure all users are aware,” he said.
“We’re trained lifesavers, but we can’t allow for stupidity.
“Palm Cove beach is five kilometres along, so it takes a fair bit of resource to police it.”
When a croc sighting is reported at a beach, policy calls for the beach to close down for four hours. Mr Davidson said it was often difficult to keep people aware of closures.
“As an organisation, we always err on the side of caution,” he said.
Mr Davidson said with the breeding season under way and reptiles on the move, lifeguards were receiving calls when the Environment Department’s CrocWatch should be notified.
“We are concerned people aren’t reporting crocodile sightings,” he said.
“We’re hearing a lot internally that people who know us are calling us directly to tell us about the crocs they’ve seen. We always direct them to CrocWatch.”
All crocodile sightings in Queensland (estuarine and freshwater) should be reported to CrocWatch on 1300 130 372.
Mr Davidson said they were always looking for new surf lifesavers to help patrol the beaches. For more information on how to get involved, go to lifesaving.com.au/