For the past 10 days they have been the backbone of the search for missing 5-year-old Jack Dixon.
Police have now suspended the search but Mount Maunganui lifesavers have vowed to not give up their search for rugby-loving Jack, until he is brought home.
Our lifeguards should certainly be commended for their selflessness and their determination.
However, despite their hard work, money is always tight for them.
In today's Bay of Plenty Times Weekend Dawn Picken reports on the financial struggles of some Bay life-saving clubs.
It is disheartening to hear about Omanu club being dangerously low on equipment just a week out from when the summer season officially starts.
The club has plenty of people supporting it but desperately needs more equipment such as four-wheel drive vehicles and boats.
You have to question why this service isn't government-funded and why there is such a struggle to be able to do the work they do. Sadly, their plight is not new.
In January, the Bay of Plenty Times reported that volunteer club members in the Bay were forced to pay for their own uniforms and first-aid training and fundraise for crucial items such as trauma packs, defibrillators and even petrol for inflatable rescue boats (IRBs). The organisation gets a $2 million Lotteries Grant each year, with $750,000 split between 73 clubs nationwide.
Councils such as Tauranga City give an annual grant for professional lifeguard wages, Monday to Friday, for about 12 weeks over summer.
All other costs are met by donations, grants and sponsorship, which clubs and the national body have to seek every year.
The club's wish list includes two four-wheel drive vehicles, as well as IRBs.
The club is hoping to get sponsorship for capital items and is working with Tauranga City Council for a new vehicle-access ramp, due for completion before the start of patrols.
It is hard to fathom how a service as valuable as surf lifesavers are struggling to find funding.
Volunteer patrols start on Labour Weekend while paid regional guards from Eastern Bay of Plenty Surf Life Saving work from mid-December until the first week of February.
In addition to Omanu's funding issues, the Papamoa club has a wish list of $200,000 in equipment - two four-wheel drive vehicles, plus maintenance and replacement of IRBs. Lifeguards can be the difference between life and death for a swimmer caught in a rip or struggling in heavy swells.
Other organisations in our community would also benefit from government funding, including St John.
The team at St John are called to the worst situations imaginable. They work to save lives, like our lifesavers, and they too struggle for funding.
Safety on our beaches is an essential, not a nice-to-have and should get some support from central government.
Local support is also needed.
The Bay's beaches attract thousands of visitors each year and the lifeguard service helps ensure their visit is a safe one.
It is a no-brainer for full funding to be allocated to these groups.
