Beach patrols return to beat
SURFERS Paradise lifesavers are back on patrol today knowing their beach is the deadliest in the state.
They also know that while their 110 volunteers work double the hours of lifesavers at other clubs and theirs is the second smallest between Point Lookout and Tugun, it covers the busiest of all Gold Coast beaches.
Patrol captain Scott Andrews said he believed the statistics, which showed eight people had drowned at Surfers in the past decade, did not reflect reality and the club was a victim of circumstance.
“It’s a tourist destination, so we get a lot people who are here just for a short stay and don’t necessarily know about local conditions,” he said.
“While the beach at a pure statistics level might seem the deadliest, the time and context is important.
“All of the drownings happened outside of patrol times.
“It’s easier for Surfers Paradise to look more dangerous because there is more opportunity for it to look like that.”
Mr Andrews called on more people to sign up and learn lifesaving to help them out.
“People think it is a tourist mecca and it’s successful and thriving but they don’t necess- arily pick us as a place to go volunteer as a surf lifesaver,” he said.
“They think that we have what we need. There is also the classic challenge of transportation and parking to get to the surf club.”
Surf Lifesaving Queensland released the latest Coast Safe Report yesterday, which showed eight people had died at Surfers Paradise since 2006.
Nearly half the drownings in the past decade across the state were on the Gold Coast. Three people drowned on the Coast last year at The Spit, Broadbeach and Main Beach.
Surfers Paradise and The Spit were named among the six worst coastal black spots across the state. To curb this trend, SLSQ chief operating officer George Hill said the organisation would trial night vision surf surveillance in Surfers Paradise over the Christmas holidays.
“People swim under the influence of alcohol and substances, outside the red and yellow flags and outside patrol times.”
Mr Hill said most drowning victims in the past two years were middle-aged Australian males who had ignored lifesaver warnings and took risks.
About 3000 voluntary lifesavers will return to Queensland beaches on patrol today and will continue to do so every weekend and public holiday until May next year.