Northern beaches lifeguards rescue 11 Bold & Beautiful swimmers

A stoush has broken out between council lifeguards and Manly’s popular Bold & Beautiful Swim Squad after claims 11 of its members has to be pulled from the ocean in a mass rescue.

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COUNCIL lifeguards say they had to rescue 11 members of the popular Bold & Beautiful Swim Squad early on New Year’s Day during the group’s daily swim from Manly to Shelly Beach and back.

It is understood that lifeguards are becoming increasingly frustrated that a small number of swimmers from the group are not heeding their advice to stay out of the water when conditions are dangerous.

But one of B&B’s founders, Julie Isbill, rejected that figure and said no member of the group had to be rescued.

The Bold & Beautiful swim group has attracted thousands of swimmers in the past 10 years.

The Council confirmed that its lifeguards have had to rescue individual B&B swimmers “on a number of occasions”.

The informal squad, formed 10 years ago, meets each morning at 7am outside Manly Life Saving Club. It invites people to make the 1500m swim wearing the group’s distinctive pink swimming caps.

More than 10,000 people have made the B&B swim in the past decade.

On January 1, 357 people took part in the swim. Council confirmed that 11 had to be rescued that day. The beach was not closed.

Julie Isbill, who set up Bold & Beautiful, said none of its swimmers were rescued by Council lifeguards on New Year’s Day.

Ms Isbill, who was not at Manly that morning, said she was told by a swimmer that six people were picked up by Council lifeguards using jet skis, but none of those swimmers were with the B&B group.

“They were not part of B&B, they were independently swimming,” she said.

Ms Isbill said two B&B swimmers, who did not ask for help, were taken back to the beach after a lifeguard offered them a lift on a jet ski.

“They were not being rescued, they did not ask for help. They just took up an offer for a free ride in.”

Council CEO Ray Brownlee said the safety of all beachgoers is paramount to Council and its lifeguards are in daily contact with the organisers of the “Pink Caps” group providing advice on the sea conditions.

“A majority of the group follow this advice, but unfortunately there are some that do not which has resulted in Council’s lifeguards having to rescue these individuals on a number of occasions,” Mr Brownlee said.

The Council said that its lifeguards, seen here during training, had to rescue 11 Bold & Beautiful swimmers on New Year’s Day. Picture: Troy Snook

“It is important for all members of the public to abide by the advice given by Council lifeguards and/or surf life savers for their own safety.”

Ms Isbill described B&B as an informal group of people who get together for a swim with like-minded people, at their own risk.

“We don’t control people, it’s a public ocean. We don’t take money, we don’t provide a duty of care.”

Ms Isbill said that when lifeguards arrive each day at 7am, they advise B&B volunteer official s about the conditions.

“Then we make an announcement about the conditions. We personally recommend and advocate that people should take precautions and that they are entering the water at their own risk.

“We very much advocate it’s about safety and not ego, but we can’t stop people going into the water.”