Friday 4 March has marked the end of the Paid Lifeguard Service (PLS) by Surf Life Saving Northern Region (SLSNR) for the 2021/2022 season.

During the peak summer season SLSNR employs lifeguards to patrol 22 locations Monday to Friday, with some locations 7 days a week. It is designed to augment volunteer patrols by providing coverage throughout the week and where volunteer patrols do not exist.

Paid lifeguards across the Northern Region saved a total of 71 lives during patrol hours this season with a further 171 assisted to safety and a total of 14,827 preventative actions, stopping 76,634 people getting into trouble.

SLSNR CEO Matt Williams commends the tremendous effort by the PLS team and say the extra patrols have ensured the wellbeing of volunteer guards during the busiest time of the year and have played an instrumental role helping keep kiwis safe.

“This season has been one of the busiest on record from the get-go, with volunteers run off their feet to keep kiwis safe in and around the water,” he says.

“Busy summer weekdays like those we’ve seen this season really take their toll on volunteers. Working over 30,000 hours this season, paid guards have been an invaluable tool to ease the burden on Search and Rescue squads, supporting with incident prevention, monitoring flagged areas, and warning people of rips, holes and other hazards.”

SLSNR Paid Lifeguard Supervisor Ollie Irwin says Covid-19 restrictions also added to the stress and well-being on lifeguards.

“Covid has really changed the dynamics on how we deliver our patrols on and around the coastlines,” he says. “With 110 paid lifeguards this season, it was extremely good beach and patrol management that no one caught Covid.”

The service, which is usually wholly funded by Auckland Council was given an extension to several key beaches in late November, two weeks earlier than planned, after a spate of drownings and busier than normal beach activity which continued through peak summer.

“We are so grateful for the support of our partners who have been working extremely hard all season long to ensure the service continues,” says Irwin.

With PLS ending for 2021/2022, there is now a need for the public to be extra vigilant in and around the water during the week.

“Beaches will now not be patrolled during weekdays,” Irwin says. “We can’t stress enough the importance of gong to a patrolled beach and swimming between the flags. If you see someone in distress in the water, then call 111 and ask Police for the Surf Lifeguards.

“Before you get in the water take a step back and think about the conditions,” he adds. “It can be very easy to overestimate your ability and underestimate the environment you are heading into.”

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