From fake drownings to near fatal rescues, municipal lifeguards had their hands full over the festive season.
Lifeguards were deployed at Laingville (St Helena Bay), Leentjiesklip (Langebaan), Paternoster and in Saldanha at Hoedjiesbaai, and the Saldanha and the Tabakbaai resorts.
They monitored activity and recorded statistics every two hours. From 15 December, they reported 2 819 beach preventions, 26 first-aid treatments, 18 rescues and more than 29 000 beachgoers, including over 11 000 bathers.
Lifeguards dealt with fake drownings, people jumping from rocks, swimmers under the influence of alcohol, unleashed dogs, sudden muscle cramps, exhaustion, and over-confident swimmers. First-aid cases included cuts from rocks and broken glass, jellyfish and sea urchin stings, and minor slips and falls, mostly caused by unsafe behaviour.
One false emergency call tied up resources but was resolved with the help of police and the South African Police Service Sea Border Unit.
Near-drowning incidents were recorded, mainly involving children and inexperienced swimmers who misjudged their abilities or lacked supervision. More serious rescues involved swimmers in deep water or near rocks experiencing severe fatigue, cramps, breathing difficulties, or loss of strength.
Unleashed dogs also created hazards, sometimes forcing temporary evacuations due to aggressive behaviour.
The lifeguard teams remained op duty until 15 January.
