LIFE-SAVING ON THE BEACHES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23690, 23 December 1938, Page 8

LIFE-SAVING ON THE BEACHES

If for no other reason than that the unfavourable weather of the past few weeks has almost prohibited the use of the St. Clair and St. Kilda beaches by any but the hardiest of swimmers and surf bathers, it is probably not an unreasonable expectation that, when we shall at last enjoy the conditions which are usually associated with the summer season, there will be a determined effort on the part of young people to make up for their lost opportunities. Whether that will be so or not, it may certainly be assumed that the popularity of these beaches will reassert itself as soon as the weather permits. That being so, it is a matter for public concern that the arrangements which, governed as they are by considerations of finance, have so far been made for the patrolling of the beaches this season, fall distinctly short of adequacy. The records show that New Zealand possesses a somewhat unenviable distinction from the prevalence of deaths from drowning. They show also that about one in every four of these deaths occurs on a sea beach. To the extent to which deaths from this cause may be preventable through a systematic supervision of the beaches that are used by crowds of swimmers and bathers, a certain reflection is cast upon the local bodies and private organisations that are interested and upon the public as a whole. It is, upon this view of the matter, not a little disturbing to learn from a report of a meeting of the Otago branch of the Surf Life Saving Association, which we publish this morning, that the funds available for this purpose will admit of the employment of the services of patrolmen at the beaches for only limited periods. It will, for example, not be possible to pay the wages of a patrolman at St. Kilda beach for more than two weeks. It is only necessary to read this statement in order to realise that the measure of protection which the presence of this official will afford in the performance of a service of high community value is considerably less than is desirable.