RNLI lifeguards volunteer to patrol Fistral beach each weekend in November

The RNLI lifeguard season officially came to an end on Sunday (29) October.

Lifeguard Supervisor Anton Page said: ‘Our 2017 season has ended, but some of our lifeguards are generously volunteering their time to offer lifeguard patrols every weekend in November. It’s something they’ve done in previous years because Fistral Beach can still get quite busy on the weekends. It means the lifeguards can give something back to the RNLI whilst giving people a beach in the area that they can go that still has a lifeguard service running.’

The volunteer patrols will start at Fistral Beach tomorrow (November 4) with the support of the RNLI between 10am and 4pm every Saturday and Sunday until 26 November.

Anton added: ‘There will be a minimum of three lifeguards volunteering their time each day of the weekend, but often there are more than that. Last year 30 of our lifeguards volunteered over the course of the month, with some doing multiple shifts. They’ll be offering advice to people visiting the beach and carry out the same lifeguard patrols they do throughout the summer.’

The majority of RNLI lifeguards’ work is preventative, but they are also well trained to deal with a whole range of scenarios from sea rescues to lost children and first aid incidents.

There are a number of things people can do to help keep themselves safe when visiting beaches out-of-season. The RNLI’s top tips are to be aware of your own capabilities, know the conditions, read safety signage, avoid taking risks and carry a means of communication.

The charity advises as part of its Respect the Water campaign that you do not enter the water if you see someone in trouble, but call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard. For more information visit RNLI.org/RespectTheWater.

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