Beach patrols have busy day

Press, 28 December 1988, Page 1

Beach patrols have busy day

By

DEBORAH MCPHERSON

Surf life-savers had their first

busy day of the summer yesterday, rescuing 34 people at 10 Christchurch beaches as the temperatures soared to 32deg. The co-ordinator of the Canterbury Surf Life-Saving Association, Mr Geoff Barry, said the 18 paid lifeguards and a number of voluntary club patrols had, in one day, nearly equalled the total of 43 people rescued during the whole of last summer.

The paid patrols began a week ago..

The 18 lifeguards at beaches between Waikuku and Taylors Mistake had been busy all day pulling swimmers out of the water. The main trouble spots were at Waimairi, South Brighton and Sumner.

A deep channel about 50m from the beach and a strong swell had created an undertow, which had dragged many people out of their depth, particularly when the tide went out in the afternoon, said Mr Barry.

Many swimmers had been helped ashore by the patrols in the jet rescue boats. A deep hole and undertow opposite Cave Rock at Sumner Beach had caused problems for about nine people, aged between four and 19, who had been rescued between noon and 2 p.m.

Owners of novelty craft, such as “boogie boards” (short foam boards), rubber tubes and kayaks, who did not know how to use them properly also received some criticism.

Many rescues had been necessary because children, who had been given the boogie boards for Christmas, did not know how to paddle them and got into difficulty with the strong undertow, said Mr Barry.