Beyond Patrol Issue 16 2018

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

ISSUE 16 | 2018

Surf safety boosted for Commonwealth Games Holiday crowds flock to Queensland beaches Blackspot initiatives save lives this summer

Welcome

O

n behalf of Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) I would like to welcome you to the latest edition of our quarterly magazine, Beyond Patrol.

The summer season is always an exceptionally busy period on our state’s beaches and this year has proved to be no exception. Millions of people from all corners of the world have flocked to Queensland’s coastline over the past few months, entrusting our surf lifesavers and lifeguards to keep them safe in the water.

With that in mind, it is particularly pleasing to report there were no drownings recorded on Queensland beaches during the summer school holidays. This is an outstanding result for our state and rightly reflects on the professionalism and ongoing commitment of our volunteer surf lifesavers and professional lifeguards.

However, it’s important to note our work doesn’t stop there. The Commonwealth Games are fast approaching and the rest of the world will be closely watching Queensland and the Gold Coast. With a significant influx of beachgoers expected in the lead up to and during the Games, we will be increasing and expanding services to ensure that everyone can enjoy their trip to the Sunshine State safely.

I invite you to read ahead to learn more about the summer so far, and some of the key initiatives that SLSQ will be rolling out in the weeks and months ahead.

Moving forward we look forward to working with key stakeholder groups, including government and councils at all levels, to increase safety on all Queensland beaches and public waterways across the state.

John Brennan OAM Chief Executive Officer Surf Life Saving Queensland

Surf Life Saving Queensland 18 Manning Street, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101 t. 07 3846 8000 | w. lifesaving.com.au Beyond Patrol staff and contributors: Writer: Cameron Ward Designer: Chloe Koklas

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Roundtable to boost water safety for kids

SLSQ will continue to work closely with the Queensland Government to increase water safety for all children, following a recent roundtable discussion with key stakeholders on the matter.

As the state’s peak authority on aquatic safety and rescue, SLSQ was recently invited to participate in the Queensland-first meeting, which focused on exploring options to improve the swimming skills and ability of young children across the state.

The initiative saw SLSQ join other leading organisations from across the education and aquatic industries to develop and discuss a wide range of potential strategies moving forward.

SLSQ chief executive officer John Brennan OAM, who attended the meeting, said discussions had been extremely productive across the day.

“Our overarching vision is ‘Zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters’ and, as an organisation, we obviously want to be doing everything we can to protect children and equip them with the aquatic skills they need to stay safe,” Mr Brennan said.

“But it’s important to recognise this is a widereaching issue and requires a collaborative approach across a number of different industries.

“The roundtable discussion was a terrific initiative, and it was particularly exciting to have so many invested people in the same room at the same time to strategise about what else we can be doing as a state. It was a great starting point, and we had some really positive discussions on the day.

“I applaud the Queensland Government for their efforts so far and we remain committed to working closely with the Premier, Minister Grace Grace, and other key portfolio Ministers in the months and years ahead to help reduce drownings,” he said.

SLSQ continues to play a leading role when it comes to educating young Queenslanders about surf and aquatic safety. In particular, the iconic Nippers program has provided countless children

with the skills and awareness to protect themselves in the water.

In addition, SLSQ directly engages with tens of thousands of young children each and every year through its suite of community awareness initiatives including Breaka Beach to Bush, Little Lifesavers, and the Queensland Health Beach Safe Schools Program.

“Last year we had more than 10,000 active Nippers learning surf survival skills across the state, and directly engaged with even more through our targeted educational programs and initiatives,” Mr Brennan said.

“Importantly, the knowledge these children are learning through the surf lifesaving movement will stay with them for the rest of their lives. We’ve seen examples in the past where current and former nippers have used the basic skills they’ve picked up along the way to prevent drownings and rescue members of the public from the surf.”

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Record holiday crowds but zero drownings

Millions of beachgoers, more than a thousand rescues, and almost 15,000 first aid treatments ensured the 2017/18 summer school holidays won’t soon be forgotten.

While the peak holiday months proved to be one of the busiest periods on record for Queensland surf lifesavers and lifeguards, the most important statistic coming out of it was the number zero.

More specifically, zero drownings were recorded along the state’s coastline between 1 December 2017 and the recommencement of school on 23 January 2018.

Importantly, the result ensured that Queensland recorded one of its safest holiday periods in history when it comes to beach-related drownings.

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and performed 227,781 preventative actions to proactively protect swimmers in and around the water.

SLSQ chief operating officer George Hill ESM said the holidays had proven to be a significant test for the red and yellow army, but one it passed with flying colours.

“We’re really proud of the work our surf lifesavers and lifeguards were able to do over the school holidays, and the fact there were no drownings during that time is a genuine reflection of their professionalism, training, and collective commitment to coastal safety at all levels,” Mr Hill said.

During the same period of time, SLSQ’s surf lifesavers and lifeguards watched over more than 7.4 million beachgoers and successfully performed 1,018 rescues across the state.

“More than 7.3 million people visited Queensland beaches over those six weeks, with each and every one of them putting their trust in our men and women to keep them safe. It’s a big responsibility and an equally-big challenge, however our surf lifesavers and lifeguards were clearly up to the job.

In addition, they treated 14,740 beachgoers for cuts, abrasions, stings, and other minor injuries,

“It’s extremely rewarding for us as an organisation to reflect and know that every single person who

swam at the beach over the school holidays was able to return home safely at the end of the day.”

This year’s holiday figures represent a significant increase in beach visitation and patrol activity when compared to the corresponding period of time in 2016/17. In total, there was a 14 per cent increase in the number of people visiting Queensland beaches, a 7.6 per cent increase in preventative actions performed by SLSQ personnel, and a 6.4 per cent increase in the number of rescues completed.

“The summer school holidays are easily one of the busiest and most difficult periods of time for us on patrol, but it’s something we begin preparing for well in advance,” Mr Hill said.

“Our lifesavers and lifeguards are dealing with huge crowds, a significant increase in the number of children running around on the beach, and lots of international tourists who may not necessarily have the greatest skill in the water or understanding of local conditions. When you add hot temperatures, king tides, and often challenging surf conditions into the mix, it can suddenly develop into a perfect storm if we’re not prepared.

“Zero drownings is a wonderful outcome, but it’s no coincidence. It’s the result of a significant amount of work, both on the beach and behind the scenes, to ensure our surf lifesavers and lifeguards are well equipped and prepared to handle everything that’s thrown their way.

“However, it’s also important to note that we won’t be sitting back and resting on our achievements.

As an organisation, we’ll be working harder than ever in 2018 and beyond to keep building on this outcome in pursuit of our overall vision of ‘Zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters’.”

An extensive review of SLSQ’s holiday coastal data shows that people of all ages, sexes, and backgrounds continue to find themselves in trouble along Queensland’s coastline.

The average age of people rescued was 23.6 years, with the oldest person pulled from the surf aged

85. Surprisingly, 439 people rescued were aged 18 or under, highlighting the challenges that surf lifesavers and lifeguards often face when it comes to monitoring young children and teenagers around the water.

Traditionally, males have posed a greater risk of getting into trouble while swimming in the surf and once again that proved to be the case these holidays. In total, 53.8 per cent of people rescued were male, compared to 46.2 per cent female.

It’s extremely rewarding for us as an organisation to reflect and know that every single person who swam at the beach over the school holidays was able to return home safely at the end of the day.

–G eorge Hill ESM COO, SLSQ

Despite SLSQ’s best efforts to educate beachgoers otherwise, the number of people swimming outside of the red and yellow flags remains disappointingly high. Alarmingly, 86 per cent of all rescues these holidays were outside of the designated flagged areas, including 195 people who were plucked from the surf more than one kilometre from the nearest patrolled beach.

Rips and tidal currents remain the greatest dangers on Queensland beaches, and were the direct cause of 766 rescues (75.2 per cent) these holidays.

Mr Hill said the coastal data highlighted the importance of investing in continued surf safety initiatives and education.

“It’s certainly disappointing to see people risking their own lives and the lives of our members by swimming at unpatrolled locations or outside of the flags, and it’s something that we’ll continue to address moving forward,” he said.

Surf lifesavers and lifeguards were also kept on their toes as marine creatures and dangerous conditions forced them to close beaches in the interests of public safety almost 300 times over the holiday period.

In total, they closed beaches 12 times after confirmed crocodile sightings, 21 times after a shark sighting, and on 24 occasions because of Irukandjis, box jellyfish, and other marine stingers. In addition, dangerous conditions and strong currents prompted the closure of beaches on 65 occasions, and storm activity prompted closures on 148 occasions.

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Ground-breaking project to benefit all

There’s no doubt this project will deliver significant benefits to Queensland communities, not only in the south east, but right across the state.

– J ohn Brennan OAM CEO, SLSQ

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) is continuing to work towards an exciting and ground-breaking new project, which will significantly increase surf safety and deliver a raft of benefits to local communities across the state.

In October last year, SLSQ signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Redland City Council Mayor Karen Williams for the development of a Surf Life Saving Centre of Excellence in Cleveland, signalling the start of an exciting new chapter for the movement in Queensland. Upon completion, the Australian-first project will deliver a high-use public aquatic and wellness centre, alongside SLSQ’s state-wide administrative headquarters and operations base.

The proposed $71 million facility will also provide SLSQ with the world-class facilities required to train and upskill surf lifesavers and lifeguards from across Queensland, Australia, and internationally.

The MOU has seen Redland City Council commit to approximately one third of the funding, with additional funding now being actively sought from both levels of Government.

From a public perspective, the project will deliver a first class aquatic centre featuring four public swimming pools, indoor heated therapy pools, recreational and learn-to-swim areas for children, a health and wellness centre, and a community gymnasium.

SLSQ chief executive officer John Brennan OAM said the precinct would provide a number of exciting opportunities for Queenslanders, while also delivering significant social, economic, tourism, and health benefits at a regional and state level.

“There’s no doubt this project will deliver significant benefits to Queensland communities, not only in the south east, but right across the state,” Mr Brennan said.

“Once complete, the Centre of Excellence will provide local residents with a range of modern and state-of-the-art facilities including multiple pools,

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and a health and wellness centre that will rival anything in the world.

“The set up alone will ensure that Queensland can continue to lead the way when it comes to promoting and advocating for active lifestyle choices which, in turn, will have positive and longterm flow-on effects for our health, fitness, and sporting industries.

“More broadly, the project will deliver significant benefits almost immediately through increased employment and local investment during the construction phase and, when finished, will create a number of full-time jobs,” he said.

Mr Brennan said the high-performance facilities, available to both athletes and coaches, would allow SLSQ and other sporting codes to stage national and international events within the aquatic centre.

It would also have the capacity to host major conferences and events across a wide range of industries.

“Queensland is one of the sporting capitals of Australia and this provides us with another opportunity to bring some of the world’s best athletes into the state to train and race, and that’s a really exciting prospect,” he said.

From a lifesaving perspective, the Centre of Excellence will provide SLSQ with unparalleled access to world-class training facilities to upskill its members and international lifeguards in swift water rescue, deep water rescue, emergency aquatic response, and advanced resuscitation techniques.

With its close proximity to North Stradbroke Island, Moreton Bay, and Raby Bay, the location also provides countless opportunities when it comes to conducting open water training and rescue simulations.

In addition, the project has the capacity to include facilities for the State Emergency Service, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, and the Queensland Ambulance Service. The colocation of these organisations is unprecedented in Queensland, and would also provide the state’s

Artist’s impressions of the Centre of Excellence

south east with a dedicated hub for search and rescue training and response.

position to transfer that knowledge and experience back down through to all of their colleagues.

“SLSQ is a community-service organisation and, with that in mind, we’re always looking at strategies to improve public safety. The opportunity to upskill our members using a centralised and state-ofthe-art facility will no doubt help us increase coastal safety right up and down the state,” Mr Brennan said.

“In addition, the possibility to operate alongside similar agencies will significantly boost our emergency response capacity and provide opportunities to increase collaboration during search and rescue operations, aquatic incidents, and broader disaster management scenarios,” he said.

“Lifeguards and surf lifesavers who travel from our regional clubs will not only be able to take what they’ve learnt at the Centre of Excellence and apply it to their own beach patrols, they will also be in a

Mr Brennan said SLSQ was grateful to the Redland City Council for its continued support, and welcomed an opportunity to discuss the project with other key stakeholder groups moving forward.

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Blackspot strategies prove lifesaving The summer months have seen millions of people from all corners of the world flock to Queensland beaches to soak up the surf and sun.

The sharp influx of beachgoers ensured that surf lifesavers and lifeguards were kept busy, with the red and yellow army combining to perform in excess of 500 rescues, 15,000 first aid treatments, and roughly 230,000 preventative actions since the start of December.

Behind the scenes, Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) has also been hard at work, implementing a raft of new services and initiatives to increase protection for beachgoers and, ultimately, reduce drowning deaths across the state.

Read on for the full story.

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Lifesaving services manager Peta Lawlor said the organisation adopts a targeted approach each year to increase safety at identified high-risk locations across the state.

lifeguard tower on the island. The new structure, erected in December 2017, will significantly increase safety and provide lifeguards with an additional tool to monitor and protect beachgoers.

“Our surf lifesavers and lifeguards do an outstanding job on the beach but there’s also a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to help protect beachgoers across Queensland,” Ms Lawlor said.

Regular services will also be boosted across 2018, with lifeguards integrating trials of remotelypiloted aircraft (drones) into their daily patrol operations to assist with beach management and crowd monitoring, along with search and rescue operations.

“Every year SLSQ reviews a wide range of data including beach conditions, fatalities, neardrownings, rescues, and any other relevant safety trends.

“From that background information we’re able to identify a number of beaches that we classify as particularly high-risk blackspots requiring additional initiatives, programs, or equipment above and beyond our regular services.

“This strategic approach underpins our commitment to our vision of ‘Zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters.’”

Outside of traditional patrols, SLSQ is also continuing to build on the success of its Surf Speak initiative: a multilingual booklet designed to help lifeguards communicate with international beachgoers in their primary language. Since its launch two years ago, the booklet has been used to proactively engage with tourists, educate beachgoers, and assist in the search for missing children and swimmers. Moving forward, SLSQ will be working with the initiative’s founder, Mark Schroeder from The University of Queensland, to develop an interactive Surf Speak app.

GOLD COAST BLACKSPOTS: Late last year SLSQ identified five blackspots across Queensland, including one in North Queensland and two on each of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

NORTH QUEENSLAND BLACKSPOT: • Green Island In September 2017, Green Island was identified

by SLSQ as the state’s top coastal blackspot following a spate of drownings, fatalities, and serious incidents in recent years. This included six confirmed drownings over the past 10 years, all occurring outside the red and yellow flags.

“Tragically, our data shows that a lot of drownings and fatalities on Green Island have involved international tourists and travellers who don’t always have a lot of experience in the ocean, or an appreciation of the dangers that come with swimming outside of the red and yellow flags,” Ms Lawlor said.

“Improving and increasing safety on the island has been a key focus area for a number of years now, and we remain committed to building on our efforts in 2018.”

This commitment recently saw SLSQ work closely with council, Queensland Parks and Wildlife, and other key stakeholders to install a permanent

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• Surfers Paradise (Tower 33-35) • Marina Mirage to South Stradbroke Island Millions of domestic and international beachgoers flock to Surfers Paradise every year, making it one of Australia’s most popular and iconic stretches of coastline. Tragically, however, there have been seven drowning deaths recorded there across the past 10 years, prompting SLSQ to once again identify the beach as a blackspot.

A review of data shows all of these drownings occurred either outside of the flags or outside of designated patrol hours. With that in mind, SLSQ’s strategies to minimise drownings have focused on expanding after-hours coverage, while increasing efforts to educate beachgoers about surf safety.

This summer, SLSQ expanded its dusk patrol service at Surfers Paradise to ensure greater coverage and protection during holiday periods.

The initiative sees surf lifesavers stationed onsite through to 10:30pm on peak weekends and public holidays to safeguard late-night beachgoers and proactively discourage anyone from entering the water after dark. Since its inception, the service has directly saved the lives of two swimmers via dramatic in-water rescues, while preventing countless other incidents from developing through early intervention.

Green Island, North Queensland

“Over the years we’ve seen far too many drownings at Surfers Paradise either at night or after hours and, tragically, we believe that many of these could have been prevented if a lifeguard or lifesaver had been onsite to assist,” Ms Lawlor said.

“There’s no doubt we would have seen more drownings at Surfers Paradise over the last few years had our dusk service not been in place,” she said.

When coupled with SLSQ’s daily dawn patrols, extended hours, and low-light camera technology, the dusk patrol service ensures Surfers Paradise is directly monitored by lifesavers and/or lifeguards for at least 18 hours a day on peak weekends and public holidays.

Along with expanding frontline services, SLSQ has increased efforts to educate beachgoers about water safety. In December 2017 SLSQ launched the Harbour Town Surf Crew program to engage with tourists across the Gold Coast. A range of other ‘pop up’ clinics and water safety sessions were also rolled out to help promote safe swimming practices.

In addition to Surfers Paradise, SLSQ identified the stretch of coast from Marina Mirage to South Stradbroke Island as a high-risk area that warranted closer attention. Roving patrols were increased across the summer months to boost coverage, while extra surveillance was rolled out through SLSQ’s coastal camera network. Importantly, all roving jet skis have now been equipped with first aid equipment to ensure they are able to respond more efficiently to any unfolding emergencies.

SUNSHINE COAST BLACKSPOTS: • Noosa River to Double Island Point Headland • Peregian to Sunshine Beach Two locations on the Sunshine Coast have also been identified by SLSQ as high-risk blackspots.

These include stretches of coastline from Noosa River to Double Island Point Headland, and Peregian to Sunshine Beach. Increased roving and jet ski patrols, coupled with a wide range of other initiatives, have significantly improved coastal safety at both locations.

Our surf lifesavers and lifeguards do an outstanding job on the beach but there’s also a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to help protect beachgoers across Queensland.

–P eta Lawlor Lifesaving Services Manager, SLSQ

In recent months, SLSQ has worked in consultation with council to develop a mobile emergency response beacon and coastal camera for deployment to unpatrolled beaches across Noosa and the Sunshine Coast. To be rolled out in the coming weeks, the beacon will provide an instantaneous communication link between the unpatrolled location and surf lifesaving services, and can be used around the clock to directly alert SLSQ if a beachgoer is in danger and requires immediate assistance. The coastal camera also allows SLSQ to monitor beach conditions and respond to any incidents in real time.

“The beacon can be activated around the clock on a 24/7 basis and if a call comes through outside of our regular patrol hours it will go through to one of SLSQ’s localised emergency response groups, who will be in a position to respond quickly to any incidents,” Ms Lawlor said.

In addition, lifeguards are continuing to trial drone technology across the Sunshine Coast to boost existing services and assist with monitoring unpatrolled beaches.

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Safety boosted ahead of Commonwealth Games

SLSQ will be rolling out a number of key services in the lead up to, and during, the Commonwealth Games in a bid to increase protection along the coastline and minimise the risk of drownings or other beach-related incidents.

The world’s eye will be firmly fixed on the Gold Coast over two weeks in April, when the city plays host to roughly 6,600 competitors and almost 700,000 unique visitors for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

For athletes, the Games represent the final step in a journey involving years of meticulous preparation and training. In many ways, the same holds true for Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), with roughly 24 months of extensive planning behind the scenes coming to a head when crowds start arriving on the Gold Coast.

SLSQ Gold Coast lifesaving services coordinator Nathan Fife said the organisation would be implementing a wide range of services to ensure it was prepared for the expected influx of beachgoers.

“We’re bracing for huge crowds of people flying into the Gold Coast from all over the world, and I’m sure a lot of those people will be keen to spend a bit of time at the beach while they’re here,” Mr Fife said.

“We’re used to large crowds on the Gold Coast but the volume of international travellers will bring its own unique set of challenges. International tourists have traditionally been a high-risk group when it comes to drownings and incidents on Queensland beaches, so we’ll definitely be on increased alert.

“The world will be watching and we want to make sure that everyone arriving on the Gold Coast enjoys their time in the surf safely and remembers their trip to Queensland for all the right reasons,” he said.

SLSQ will be rolling out a number of key services in the lead up to, and during, the Commonwealth Games in a bid to increase protection along the coastline and minimise the risk of drownings or other beach-related incidents.

A number of clubs from Southport down to Rainbow Bay will extend patrol hours, with volunteers set to

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raise the flags from 6:00am through to 6:00pm on weekends, giving most beaches unprecedented coverage during this timeframe. In addition, SLSQ’s Australian Lifeguard Service will boost its manpower at both Tallebudgera Creek and Southport Broadwater to provide greater coverage at the popular swimming spots.

Meanwhile, SLSQ’s Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service will perform extra flights during the Games, and additional roving jet ski patrols will be rolled out across March and April to boost surveillance and increase protection along unpatrolled stretches of coastline.

“It’s important to recognise this is a brand new scenario for us; we’ve never experienced an event of this magnitude on the Gold Coast before.

Because of that, there’s been a tremendous amount of planning and preparation going on behind the scenes to make sure we have the structures and services in place to protect all beachgoers before, during, and after the Games,” Mr Fife said.

“We’ve also been working very closely with the Gold Coast City Council and their lifeguards to ensure there’s as much integration between our services as possible, and we’ll continue to do what we can to support their initiatives.”

In addition to increasing on-beach services, there has also been a concerted effort to strengthen SLSQ’s after-hours and emergency response capacities.

Dawn and dusk patrols will be expanded to help minimise any incidents from occurring outside of traditional patrol hours. SLSQ’s dusk patrol service will see surf lifesavers stationed at Surfers Paradise from 7:00pm through to 11:00pm on peak days throughout the Games to watch over late-night beachgoers and proactively prevent swimmers from entering the water at night. Meanwhile, two dawn patrol crews will rove between Southport and Miami Beach from 4:00am onwards, seven days a week.

These patrols will be supported by SLSQ’s 24/7 emergency response groups, who will remain on standby throughout the entire duration of the Games to ensure that lifesavers are able and ready to respond immediately to any unfolding emergencies.

“There’s no doubt this will be one of the largest operations in our organisation’s history, particularly when you consider the sheer number of people expected to flood into the Gold Coast and all of the additional services and manpower being rolled out,” Mr Fife said.

Off the beach, SLSQ’s community awareness activities will also be ramped up, with surf safety information being handed out to tourists arriving on the Gold Coast and distributed to numerous hotels, motels, and accommodation providers in and around the vicinity of the Games. Surf lifesavers will also be working directly with international teams and athletes to equip them with the knowledge and awareness to stay safe on Queensland beaches.

“It’s important to bear in mind that all of these extra patrols and initiatives are being implemented on top of our regular services, which is a genuine testament to the vigilance of our volunteer surf lifesavers and lifeguards.

“Whether you’re an international athlete, a tourist, a spectator, or a local resident, we’ll be working hard right throughout the Games to help keep everyone safe in the water,” he said.

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NQ lifesavers raise the flags on another season

will watch over and protect swimmers on weekends and public holidays, with SLSQ’s professional lifeguards set to continue their regular patrol services.

SLSQ North Queensland regional manager Rob Davidson welcomed volunteers back on patrol, saying they played a vital role when it came to protecting both tourists and residents along the coastline.

“Our surf lifesavers provide a crucial service each year and, as volunteers, it’s important to remember that many are actually giving up time with their family and friends to help keep our community safe,” he said.

“They’ll be working extremely hard over the next eight months to help ensure that everyone can enjoy our beautiful beaches safely.”

Last season, volunteer surf lifesavers across North Queensland spent thousands of hours on patrol across the region. During this time they performed almost 2,000 preventative actions to proactively safeguard beachgoers, and treated more than 100 first aid patients for cuts, abrasions, and various other injuries. Their efforts were well supported by SLSQ’s professional lifeguards who performed 128 rescues, including 110 on Green Island alone.

Hundreds of volunteer surf lifesavers from Port Douglas down to Mission Beach will raise the red and yellow flags on local beaches once again when SLSQ kicks off its 2018 North Queensland patrol season in March.

While the majority of surf lifesavers across Queensland patrol over summer, the presence of marine stingers in the water over the warmer months mean that SLSQ volunteers in the state’s far north operate on a different schedule.

From March through to the end of November, volunteers from Port Douglas, Ellis Beach, Cairns, Etty Bay, and Mission Beach Surf Life Saving Clubs

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“There are a lot of unique challenges our volunteers up north face that are vastly different to what surf lifesavers from across the rest of Queensland might expect to encounter on patrol,” Mr Davidson said.

“In addition to protecting swimmers, our North Queensland surf lifesavers and lifeguards also have to contend with the possibility of crocodiles and marine stingers, which can all be found in the water at various times across the year.

“Importantly, however, we have extensive processes in place that surf lifesavers and lifeguards follow if and when they encounter a crocodile or dangerous marine stinger on patrol, and those procedures are there to not only keep beachgoers out of harm’s way, but to protect our own members as well,” he said.

Harbour Town Surf Crew hit the beach

SLSQ officially has a new lifesaving weapon up its sleeve following the launch of the Harbour Town Surf Crew program and vehicle, aimed at educating the thousands of beachgoers who flock to Surfers Paradise each week.

The program has seen additional lifesavers stationed at Surfers Paradise over summer in a dedicated red and yellow surf vehicle, with free educational clinics rolled out each day to teach beachgoers how to stay safe in the water.

It is the generous involvement of our partners that enables us to continue to keep our beaches safe.

Surf Life Saving Queensland would like to thank these organisations for their ongoing support.

Importantly, the Harbour Town Surf Crew car has also been equipped with a defibrillator, rescue tube, board, fins, first aid kit, and radio, ensuring that SLSQ has an additional resource ready to respond immediately in the event of an emergency situation.

The service has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Harbour Town, Zupps Mt Gravatt, and Holden.

PRINCIPAL

PREMIUM

GOVERNMENT

COMMUNITY

MEDIA

BUSINESS

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D Ensure there is no Danger for: > Yourself > Bystanders > Patient

R Check for Response by talk and touch.

S

A

B

C

D

If unresponsive, Send for help by calling 000.

Open Airway and ensure it is clear. If not, roll patient onto their side and clear airway.

Look, listen and feel for Breathing. If not breathing normally, commence CPR.

Start CPR. Give 30 chest compressions followed by 2 rescue breaths with head tilt. If unable to perform rescue

Attach Defibrillator if available. Turn on and follow voice prompts.

INFANTS: DO NOT TILT HEAD

breaths, continue chest compressions. INFANTS: USE 2 FINGERS TO COMPRESS CHEST.

CONTINUE CPR UNTIL RESPONSE OR NORMAL BREATHING RETURNS.

ANYONE CAN SAVE A LIFE. LEARN FIRST AID. Australian Lifesaving Academy Queensland | P: 1300 766 257 | E: bookings@alaq.com.au