‘We were gobsmacked’: Surf lifesavers abused as beach goers ignore warning signs

Swimmers at a Caloundra beach are ignoring signs and injuring themselves in an unpatrolled section filled with rocks and stonefish, leaving lifeguards at their wits end.

Surfers on the headland at Happy Valley in Caloundra. Photo Lachie Milllard

Volunteer lifesavers at Bulcock Beach have been copping abuse from beach goers who are ignoring signs and swimming at a stretch of beach that is filled with sharp rocks and stone fish.

Ithaca Caloundra City Life Saving Club volunteer Patricia Barry said swimmers were walking straight past a red flag and warning signs to swim in a new area of Happy Valley that has formed following the Bribie Island breakthrough.

“It has created a lot of sandbanks and it has totally changed the area,” she said.

Although the cove looks appealing, Ms Barry said it was full of rocks covered with oysters and that they had at least one stonefish sting there each weekend.

“We were gobsmacked that despite all the warnings and that many of these rocks you can actually see, that people were still using that area and slicing themselves and cutting themselves,” she said.

The comments come as a woman is fighting for life after she got into trouble in the water at Coolum on Wednesday evening.

A warning sign at the beach in Caloundra.

Ms Barry said volunteer lifesavers were also being abused while trying to warn or help people in the area.

“It was beyond belief,” she said.

“We were actually being abused by people saying there were no signs or saying that the sign didn’t say the rocks were sharp.

“What did upset us is that we sent around a couple of our 15-year-old youngsters to try and deal with the minor injuries and they were being abused by the public as well.”

Beach signs at Happy Valley warning people not to swim.

Despite lifesavers’ best efforts, Ms Barry said they were being swamped with demand for first aid.

“We put up a red flag with a big sign underneath that said danger no swimming … but it made absolutely no difference,” she said.

“We were doing patrols in the boat with a megaphone to warn people. We really didn‘t know what more we could do.”

The area is around 700 metres from the nearest patrolled section on Bulcock Beach.

Ms Barry said the efforts at Happy Valley was actually detracting from them keeping up surveillance at the patrolled beach.

Sunshine Coast Lifesaving Services Coordinator Sunshine Coast Shane Urban said the last two long weekends were the biggest weekends of the year, with an influx of tourists on the beaches.

“What challenge that poses is that a lot of people aren’t regular beach goers on the Sunshine Coast. So therefore they are not aware of the local conditions,” he said.

“We do look to our locals to be our honorary lifesavers and lead by example.”

Mr Urban said people swimming outside the flags can deplete resources in the areas they are needed.

“Even if you‘re swimming 100 metres away from the flags,” he said.

“That could mean we take our eyes off the ball for a second and we need to keep our focus in that area.”

Mr Urban said volunteer lifesavers had given up family time over the holidays to help keep people safe at the beach and should be thanked.