Sunshine Coast lifesavers wrap up season that involved more rescues and bigger crowds
Volunteer lifesavers will soon wrap up patrols after enduring an epic season of big crowds and rescues across Coast beaches. SEE THE LIST OF RESCUES
Sunshine Coast
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Volunteer lifesavers will soon wrap up patrols after enduring an epic season of big crowds and rescues across Coast beaches.
Surf Life Saving Queensland's 2020/21 volunteer patrol season, which runs from September to May, ends on Monday.
It was a busy season, with not only attendance but rescue figures up on last year.
A total of 1,188,065 people visited Coast beaches this season, with lifesavers making 334 rescues.
That's 124,423 more visitors and 40 more rescues than the 2019-20 season.
SLSQ Sunshine Coast regional operations manager Aaron Purchase said it had been an extremely busy season across all Queensland beaches.
"Our lifesavers have done a remarkable job over the past nine months keeping beachgoers safe," he said.
"With COVID-19 restrictions impacting travel internationally and interstate, we have seen large crowds right across the coastline as people holiday closer to home.
"A combination of large crowds and hazardous conditions resulted in more than 950 lives (across Queensland) being saved this season, an increase of 27 per cent compared to last year."
The most common demographic rescued were men between 25 to 35-years-old, accounting for 176 of all rescues performed across Queensland this season.
Sunshine Coast lifesavers also performed 16258 preventive actions and 2234 first aid treatments.
Both of those stats were down on the previous year.
Mr Purchase urged beachgoers to put their safety first this long weekend.
"Concerningly, more than 80 per cent of rescues conducted across the state have been performed outside flagged areas," he said.
"We ask beachgoers to make the effort to head to their nearest patrolled beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
"Not only do the red and yellow flags identify the safest spot to swim, it also means should you need assistance lifesavers will be able to immediately respond to you."
While volunteer patrols are wrapping up on Monday, lifeguard services will continue to patrol Queensland beaches throughout the cooler months to ensure beachgoers safety.
Six rescues on Coast beaches over 2020-21
-Five people swept out to sea in flash rip off Warana on Christmas Day
-Teens rescued after nearly drowning when they were caught in a rip at Noosa North Shore.
-A woman was pulled from the surf by onlookers after being battered by waves at Kings Beach
-Desperate efforts to save man after group rescued from rip
-Heroic groms praised for preventing second Peregian tragedy
-Teen's horror as dive injury leaves him unable to surface
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