Nauru lifeguards patrolled Bondi Beach which can host double their country’s population

A TEAM of lifeguards from Nauru spent the weekend patrolling Bondi Beach which, on a hot day, hosts more than double their country’s population.

Lifeguards from Nauru. Rosanna Cain, Devlon Capelle, Dendrick Mwareow and Angelo Hubert at Bondi Beach. Picture: Craig Wilson

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A TEAM of lifeguards from Nauru spent the weekend patrolling Bondi Beach which, on a hot day, hosts more than double their country’s population.

Three men and one woman helped Bondi Bathers Surf Life Saving Club keep beachgoers safe on Saturday as part of a 10-day tour of Sydney.

Tour manager Steve Allan said the team was here predominantly for jetski training after Nauru’s government bought two for their lifeguard service.

“They wanted to make sure they came over and got jetski training so we set up a program for them,” Mr Allan said.

He helped set up the Nauru Lifeguard Service in 2012 on the tiny island nation that hosts Australian immigration detention facilities.

“There was nothing there at all,” he said. “I wanted to try to get the visitors, as they call them, the asylum seekers on activities and get them on the water.

“A lot of them come from landlocked countries so I wanted to set up a lifeguard service so they could patrol.”

Angelo Hubert, Devlon Capelle, Rosanna Cain and Dendrick Mwareow at Bondi Beach. Picture: Craig Wilson

Four years later, 24 fulltime lifeguards work for the service and patrol the island’s beaches.

One of them, Rosanna Cain said the team updated their skills in first aid, jet skis and beach management during their stay in Sydney.

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“I didn’t expect so many people to be on Bondi Beach,” the 29-year-old said.

“I’ve always wanted to come here; it’s been a dream of mine.”

Also on the tour, Devlon Capelle, said Nauru’s beaches were different to Bondi.

“Here you’ve got stingers but we don’t have any at home,” the 36-year-old said.

Mr Allan said the team would train other lifeguards in Nauru to use jetskis when they returned.