RNLI Lifeguards: Ensuring your safety on the beach


The RNLI provides an essential lifesaving service around the coast of the UK and Ireland. In Cornwall, there are 14 lifeboat stations, each manned by a dedicated team of volunteer crew members. There are also 57 RNLI lifeguarded beaches in Cornwall, where the lifeguard team works daily throughout the summer to keep people safe.


In Cornwall in 2014, the charity’s lifeguards dealt with 12,064 incidents, aiding 13,586 people and saving 52 lives. Lifeboats in the county were launched 1,560 times and rescued 1,659 people - the highest since 2011.


The Cornish coastline is enjoyed by many thousands of people each year, and people are spoilt for choice in the range of activities to take part in both on and off the water. Of course the RNLI wants people to go to the coast and enjoy it, but the charity urges people to respect the water and understand that the sea is extremely powerful and does risks.


A lifeguard’s job can look enviable but the team work extremely hard every day to keep people safe. On a busy day with thousands of people in the water this can be challenging. A major part of a lifeguard’s role is preventative, offering intervention


before an incident happens. You will see lifeguards working hard to keep people within the designated flagged zones, moving the bathing zones as conditions change and offering advice to beach goers.


Every year thousands of people get into real, life-threatening difficulty on our coasts. Rip currents are very common on our beaches, and can cause people to be pulled from their depth out to sea and be fatigued very quickly. If you do become caught in a rip current, do not panic. Keep hold of your flotation device, don’t try to swim against it as you’ll tire very quickly, swim parallel to the beach until free of the current.


To ensure you and your family stay safe this summer, follow the RNLI’s simple safety messages:


l Choose to swim at a lifeguarded beach


l Swim between the flags – red and yellow for swimming and bodyboarding; and black and white for surfing


l Always read the safety signage at the entrance to the beach


l If you get into trouble in the water, stick your hand up and shout for help


l If you see somebody else in trouble, don’t attempt to rescue them. Tell a lifeguard, or if you can’t see a lifeguard call 999 and ask for the Coastguard


RNLI Lifeguards: Which beaches?


For your guidance, here is a list of beaches where the RNLI Lifeguards operate during the summer months in Cornwall:


Beach View, St Ives; Black Rock, near Bude; Boobys Bay, near Padstow; Carbis Bay, St Ives; Chapel Porth, St Agnes; Constantine, near Padstow; Crackington Haven, near Tintagel; Crantock, near Newquay; Crooklets, Bude; Fistral, Newquay; Freathy, Whitsand Bay; Godrevy, St Ives Bay; Great Western, Newquay; Gunwalloe, Lizard; Gwenver, Sennen; Gwithian, St Ives Bay; Gyllyngvase, Falmouth; Harlyn Bay, near Padstow; Hayle Towans, near Hayle; Holywell Bay, Newquay; Kennack Sands, The Lizard; Marazion, Penzance & Marazion; Mawgan Porth, near Newquay; Mexico Towans, near Hayle; Northcott Mouth, near Bude; Perran Sands, near Perranporth; Perranporth; Peter’s Point, near Hayle; Poldhu Cove, near The Lizard; Polurrian Cove, near Mullion; Polzeath, near Wadebridge; Porth Beach, near Newquay; Porthcothan Bay, near Padstow; Porthcurno Beach, Porthcurno; Porthkidney, St Ives;


Porthleven, near Helston; Porthmeor, St Ives; Porthminster, St Ives; Porthtowan, near Redruth; Portreath, near Redruth; Praa Sands, near Helston; Sandymouth, near Bude;


Sennen Cove, near Lands End; Sharrow, Whitsand Bay; St Agnes, St Agnes; Summerleaze, Bude; Tolcarne, near Newquay; Towan, Newquay; Trebarwith Strand, near Tintagel; Tregantle; Tregonhawke, Whitsand Bay; Trevone Bay, near Padstow; Treyarnon Bay, near Padstow; Upton Towans, near Hayle; Watergate Bay, Newquay; Widemfouth Beach, near Bude


Please visit the main website www.rnli.org or call 0845 122 6999 for full details.


RNLI is a charity and relies on public donations.


Pictures courtesy of RNLI.


www.cornish-visitor.co.uk


Cornish Visitor Guide - Summer 2018 17


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