Byron Bay Schoolies celebrations start with warnings to stay safe
A second wave of school leavers is bound for Byron, prompting a warning from lifeguards. See our mega photo gallery from the first weekend of festivities.
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Byron Bay’s lifesavers and lifeguards are asking schoolies to have fun and stay safe in the water this week.
Surf Life Saving NSW far north coast duty officer Jimmy Keough said emergency services were prepared for all possible scenarios, having even trained for the possibility that a Covid-19 outbreak was to take hold.
Schoolies officially started in Byron on Saturday when mostly Victorian school leavers started to arrive.
NSW school leavers are expected to start arriving from Friday.
“It’s a two-week period which often results in numerous aquatic and coastal incidents involving a high number of partying teens who come to town,” he said.
“Basically we are worried we’re about to get smashed up here and want to put a bit of a warning out to those teenagers – take care at the beach.”
Extra jet skis, support operations vehicles and duty officers are on standby to respond to emergencies if required from Tweed to Port Macquarie.
“Our main message is to avoid remote beaches and look after your mates,” Mr Keough.
“Social media can encourage a lot of people to want to get to the remote beaches that celebrities feature in their selfies, but those beaches can be dangerous and, at times, hard to access for our first responders.”
Wet weather couldn’t deter Victorian school leavers from enjoying the weekend.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said there were no schoolies incidents reported to police from the first weekend of celebrations.
The police operation will officially start on Friday, with riot squad and mounted officers supporting the local command.
Melbourne schoolie Olivia Hastie said it was a relief to be able to travel interstate to celebrate.
“We finally got something because we had everything taken away from us all year,” she said.
Northern NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Wayne Jones on Friday said there were plans in place to minimise the chance of a Schoolies Covid outbreak.
“What I do ask to schoolies is for everyone to be responsible, to come to Byron, have fun, enjoy the celebration but be responsible,” Mr Jones said.
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