Lake Mac lifeguards hit the sand and surf ahead of beach season

Published on 13 September 2022

Lake Mac lifeguards have been put through their paces ahead of the 2022-23 beach season to ensure they remain among the best in the world in beach safety and fitness.

More than 40 lifeguards, set to patrol the city’s four beaches when the season kicks off on Saturday 24 September, were subjected to a battery of tests at Blacksmiths Beach to ensure they’re up for the task.

Team Leader Beach Lifeguards Lucas Samways said the drills included simulated surf rescues, jet-ski operations and quad-bike manoeuvring in soft sand.

“We’re expecting more than one million visitors to our beaches during the season, and these lifeguards are the first responders to everything from life-threatening situations to minor cuts and bruises,” he said.

“We’ve got to make sure they are ready to take it on. That’s not just in terms of fitness, but their ability to use all the tools at their disposal and handle emergencies in a cool and calm manner.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said fitness and proficiency standards set for Lake Macquarie City Council lifeguards were among the toughest in the world.

“We set the bar high to ensure our beaches are as safe and welcoming as they can possibly be,” she said.

Attendance was down 40 per cent at Lake Mac beaches last season due to the prolonged wet weather, but lifeguards still performed 160 rescues and provided first aid to almost 900 people.

“Last season’s wild weather meant we lost a lot of sand along large parts of the coast, and a lot of that is yet to return,” Mr Samways said.

“That means conditions have changed in some areas, and we’ve got more submerged or partly exposed rocks at places like Redhead Beach.”

“It creates more hazards, so we want people visiting the beach to be particularly mindful of that in the weeks and months to come.”

Lake Mac lifeguards patrol four beaches from September to April: Redhead, Blacksmiths, Caves and Catherine Hill Bay.

Mr Samways said many of the most serious and tragic incidents happened at other spots outside the patrolled areas.

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service closed an area south of Catherine Hill Bay known as the Pink Caves permanently in July after the drowning deaths of two people swept off rocks.

“It’s so important for people enjoying our beautiful beaches to swim between the red and yellow flags, follow lifeguards’ instructions and stay out of the water on days when the beach is closed,” Mr Samways said.

Real-time condition updates for each beach, including patrol status, water temperature, swell and wind, are available at lakemac.com.au.