bp Rescue of the Month – January 2023

On Saturday, 21 January, Surf Lifeguards from the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club were preparing for large numbers of people coming to the beach for the SoundSplash music festival, which was going to take place on a reserve behind the clubhouse. With thousands of festival-goers camping on the reserve, the lifeguards were expecting a full beach early in the day.

The expected number of beach-goers eventuated early. The beach filled from 10.00 am as the sky was clear and the weather was hot and sunny.

Despite a large, flagged area and danger signs in front of the rip on the south side of the beach, many beach users headed into the water and ignored the danger signs. A Rescue Water Craft (RWC) and Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) were on the water, trying to manage the numbers and move people between the flags.

With the change of tide, the rip on the south side of the patrolled area, coupled with the start of king tides, began to pull powerfully. This rip prevented the swimmers from returning to shore, even though many could still touch the bottom.

Multiple hands went up as swimmers struggled against the rip and change of tide. The IRB was first on the scene, with the crewperson and driver pulling people into the boat, returning to shore, and then returning to pick up more swimmers in trouble. A Surf Lifeguard with a rescue tube and fins entered the water to help move people out of the water, with lifeguards on the beach communicating to beach users to vacate the area and move between the flags further north along Raglan beach.

The RWC, which was helping manage the crowd in the flagged area, went out to assist the IRB in picking up swimmers and returning them to shore while helping to move other swimmers towards the flags. However, although people were getting rescued, swimmers didn't heed the advice.

As a result, the IRB and RWC had to continue to rescue swimmers from the same area, returning them safely to shore and moving others out of the danger area and down to the patrolled section of the beach.

Raglan Surf Lifeguards rescued 29 people that Saturday in two mass rescues. Without the intervention of Surf Lifeguards, both on the water and in the clubhouse coordinating the rescues, it could have been a disastrous weekend for those attending SoundSplash music festival.

bp Head of Country NZ, Matt Elliott, says bp is proud to support incredible volunteer Surf Lifeguards like those who make up the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club.

“Since 1968 bp has been proud to stand behind Surf Life Saving New Zealand and its Surf Lifeguards who consistently put their amazing skills into action to keep us all safer at our beaches.”

For being awarded second place in bp Rescue of the Month, the Raglan Surf Life Saving Club will be recognised with $300-worth of bp gift vouchers and a framed citation to display at their club.

Beach safety messages

• Choose a lifeguarded beach
• Swim between the flags
• Swim, surf or fish with a mate. It pays to have backup if someone gets into trouble.
• Wear shoes with grip and always wear a lifejacket when fishing on rocks
• Click here for other Beach Basics safety messaging.

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