No lifeguards on the beach as Summer season concludes

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - As of 7 April, until 30 November, there will be no lifeguards deployed at any of the beaches.

Beaches and swimming pools that fall under the George Municipality’s jurisdiction:

Wilderness Main Beach
Wilderness Lagoon
Wilderness Steps
Wilderness Lientjiesklip
Victoria Bay Beach
Gwaing River Mouth Beach and Day Camp
Herold’s Bay Beach and Tidal Pool
Conville Municipal Swimming Pool
Uniondale Municipal Swimming Pool

Essential phone numbers to keep close

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station 23 at Wilderness Beach supports the municipality. The NSRI can be reached on 082 990 5955.

George Fire Department FIRE 044?801 6311
Toll-Free disaster number: 087 152 9999
George Municipality after hours? 044?801 6300

Photo: George Municipality

How can people keep themselves safe and protected on the beach and in the water?

Learning to swim is the best defence against drowning. Teach children to swim at an early age. Children who are not taught when they are very young tend to avoid swim instruction as they age, probably due to embarrassment. Swimming instruction is a crucial step in protecting children from injury or death.
Do not swim while under the influence of alcohol or heavy sedation medication.
Swim with a buddy. Many drownings involve single swimmers. When you swim with a buddy if one of you has a problem, the other may be able to help, including signalling for assistance from others. At least have someone onshore watching you.
Use sunscreen and drink water: Everyone loves a sunny day, but exposure to the sun affects your body. Without sunscreen, you can be seriously burned. The sun’s rays can also cause life-long skin damage and skin cancer. To protect yourself always choose "broad spectrum” sunscreen rated from 15 to 50 SPF, or clothing that covers your skin, and reapply sunscreen regularly throughout the day. The sun can also dehydrate you quickly. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol, which contributes to dehydration.
Keep the beach and water clean. Nobody likes to see the beach or water littered with trash. Even in places where beach cleaning services pick up trash daily, it may linger on the beach for hours, causing an unsightly mess and threatening the health of birds and animals. Broken glass also poses a great risk of injury to beach users. Do your part. Pick up after yourself and even others. Everyone will appreciate you for it.
Learn Rip Current Safety. 80% of rescues at ocean beaches are caused by rip currents. These currents are formed by surf and gravity because once surf pushes water up the slope of the beach, gravity pulls it back. This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore. Some people mistakenly call this an undertow, but there is no undercurrent, just an offshore current. If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will bring you to safety.
Enter Water Feet First. Serious, lifelong injuries, including paraplegia, occur every year due to diving headfirst into unknown water and striking the bottom. Bodysurfing can result in a serious neck injury when the swimmer's neck strikes the bottom. Check for depth and obstructions before diving, then go in feet first the first time; and use caution while bodysurfing, always extending a hand ahead of you. Be careful even at the swimming pool.
Wear a Life Jacket when on Watercrafts. Some 80% of fatalities associated with boating accidents are from drowning. Most involve people who never expected to end up in the water but fell overboard or ended up in the water when the boat sank. Children are particularly at risk and should wear life jackets whenever they are aboard boats.

Public swimming pools

As of 8 April until 30 November, the municipal public swimming pools will be closed.
For enquiries/bookings: Conville Swimming Pool on 044 801 9488
For enquiries/Bookings: Uniondale Swimming Pool on 044-8019020 / 044 7521024 (Uniondale Office) Contact persons: Mr J Bruinders Email: [email protected] – Senior Clerk Sport Development or Ms LY Botha Email [email protected] – Sport Development Officer.

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