The summer lifeguard service at Lahinch in Co Clare has started three weeks early this year in response to the surge in bathers hitting beaches along the west coast.
Lifeguards returned to Lahinch on Saturday, just six days after local surfers assisted in a series of dramatic rescues.
Local authorities in counties Clare and Galway are providing hundreds of additional lifeguard hours this summer to take account of large crowds, which have already started to appear on sunny days.
People are “coming out of their shells again”, according to Water Safety Ireland chief executive John Leech.
“The beaches are the busiest anyone can remember on record. Last year people were afraid. This year, restrictions are lifting and most local authorities have responded very well. In Galway they have had full lifeguard cover since last weekend which is unheard of,” Mr Leech said.
There has been high demand for leisure equipment such as inflatable paddle boards, with French outdoor sports retailer Decathlon reporting a fivefold increase in digital sales. Its Dublin store is selling more surfboards and kayaks than any other Decathlon outlet in the world.
Rescues
The series of rescues by surfers at Lahinch last Sunday drew widespread attention, prompting Clare County Council to bring forward its lifeguard cover.
“There was a big crowd and large surf. The low tide encourages people to go out across the beach to the water and you can drift off and find yourself in a current all of a sudden,” Ben Bennett of Ben’s Surf Clinic, Lahinch, said.
The Lahinch surf group is comprised of between 15 and 20 seasoned surfers, who live locally. They provide an unofficial rescue service throughout the year out of a sense of duty for fellow beachgoers. Five members conducted more than 40 rescues last weekend, plucking one swimmer from the water “just before they went under”, Mr Bennett said.
“Our biggest issue is currents. On any beach where there are waves there are currents so you need to ask where those currents are. The currents change every year, so for someone who thinks they know the beach, it’s important to get up-to-date local knowledge. That’s the biggest thing we encourage: Just ask.
“Just because there’s lots of people in the water doesn’t mean its safe. The amount of times we have to stop people about to step into a current, that could happen 15 or 20 times on a weekend,” Mr Bennett said.
“The big difference with Lahinch is there is lots of eyes on it, lots of people watching. It’s a great place to go, people love jumping around in the waves and bodyboarding and it’s a very safe beach when it’s managed properly,” he added.
Full-time lifeguard operations – seven days a week, 11am to 7pm – will continue at Lahinch until the end of August and then it will revert to weekends only for the first two weekends of September.
“Clare County Council will be employing an additional six lifeguards across the county, bringing our total complement in 2021 up to 50 lifeguards for the summer season,” the local authority said.
Busy beaches
The weekend saw busy beaches at Spanish Point, Fanore and Kilkee, where full-time lifeguard services resumed and will continue to the end of August.
At Doolin, a traditional bathing site since Victorian times, swimmers are seeking the resumption of a lifeguard service that could ease pressure on an already overloaded Lahinch.
Across the bay in Co Galway, large swathes of pristine beaches will attract more adventurous souls seeking quieter spots in which to swim, many without lifeguard cover. In this instance, the advice from Water Safety Ireland is to swim within your depth, ask for local knowledge to determine hazards and make sure you can safely and easily enter and exit the water. Beware of rip currents and swim with an inflatable bubble to ensure greater visibility.
Last year, lifeguards rescued 468 people at waterways nationwide, provided first aid to almost 3,500 people and located 251 lost children. Alcohol is a factor in a third of drownings and 22 per cent of these cases also involved drugs, according to Mr Leech.
“Panic resulting from cold-water shock is the singular major contributing factor to all drownings. Drowning is silent; you cannot use your voice while trying to get air into your lungs. The best advice is to swim at a lifeguard beach. The lifeguards are brilliant at what they do. They will save you,” he said.