Many people will have headed to the seaside this summer either for a day trip or a longer holiday. It is a place to have fun and make lasting memories but it can so quickly turn to tragedy. The RNLI reminds us that it is vital to respect the water.
The RNLI Lifeguard Service gives Camber a valuable resource in preventing and ultimately in reacting to incidents in the water. The lifeguards are always looking not only to save more lives at sea but to prevent people from getting into trouble in the first place. They are trained to help beachgoers through educating them to understand the dangers that beaches can pose: it is the RNLI’s aim by 2024 to have halved drownings around our coast. The lifeguards are an integral part of the operation at Camber Central and West Beaches and work seamlessly alongside RDC (Rother District Council) Sussex Police, SeCamb ( South East Coast Ambulance Service) and the UK Coastguards.
At the beach, every second counts. Lifeguards and Beach Patrols are trained to spot potential dangerous situations before they happen and to respond instantly if they do occur.
On all 240 life-guarded beaches the RNLI lifeguards are equipped with not only the best training but the best equipment so that they are able to deal with any situation: they need to be fit and to react swiftly and calmly.
Summing up the summer so far, Rob Cass, Coastal Officer for Camber beaches reflected: “I would say that this season has not been as challenging as some in the past but it has had some exceptional peaks with long hot days over the last Bank Holiday, for instance. We had over 30,000 visitors on the three individual days and more than 40 missing children on each day. It has been a fantastic year working with the joint agencies which have all integrated so well together. Each team was able offer different sorts of expertise, helping to prevent accidents and keeping people safe throughout their stay. The picture of us all together shows the united strength of working as individuals but being part of a bigger collaborative team.”
Inspector Jonathan Hartley, Hastings and Rother Prevention Team, Sussex Police added: “I am grateful to our partners for their commitment and praise the hard work of individuals involved that make the operation a success and help to keep Camber a safe place for residents and visitors.”
Image Credits: Kt Bruce .