Graham Hadlee is calling for volunteers to help with beach patrols on Ruakākā Beach this summer.
Photo / Tania Whyte
Graham Hadlee is calling for volunteers to help with beach patrols on Ruakākā Beach this summer.
Photo / Tania Whyte
It's time to be jolly but also to pitch in and help promote safety messages on beach patrols aimed at preventing drownings at a popular Northland surf destination.
The Bream Bay Beach Safety Ambassador programme is again looking at volunteers to cover the 8km stretch of beach — from Ruakākā to the Waipū river mouth— and organisers are expecting an influx of visitors now the borders are open.
The programme, in its sixth year, was established after a rise in drownings and aims to educate, in particular, an increasing number of Asians from Auckland catching paddle crabs.
Three crab fishers drowned off Ruakākā Beach in four years.
Leader of the beach patrol Graham Hadlee said the programme has been successful in preventing drownings and educating beach users over the years.
"Last year, we stopped a group at the water's edge and reminded them to wear their lifejacket. We already have school kids and of course the beach is popular for Asian crabbers so we have to keep advising and educating them."
Hadlee said he expected a similar or bigger crowd than previous years, given the fact people have been in lockdowns periodically.
He's looking at a dozen volunteers for the summer season which runs for a couple of months.
Ambassadors will have training around use of the beach utility vehicle, identifying dangerous sea conditions, and responding to emergencies.
Hadlee said they were not encouraged to enter the water to save lives but to be the point of contact at the scene relaying vital information to emergency services.
The key roles of the ambassadors were around prevention and education and safety pamphlets in English, Chinese and Korean languages would be available to help, he said.
A number of sponsors have come on board this year.
Shane Rouse of Rouse Motorcycles Hikurangi has offered a beach utility vehicle, Northport and the Whangārei District Council are sponsoring the cost, and GAS Bream Bay is donating fuel.
Volunteers will again patrol the Ruakākā Beach this summer to prevent drownings and other incidents.
Photo / Michael Cunningham
There will be morning and afternoon shifts to cover the daily busy periods and the duration of each patrol is about two hours.
"We are looking for a commitment of four to six shifts over the summer season. Some patrollers may be able to contribute more than that, there is some flexibility around these shifts," Hadlee said.
Volunteers will need a current driver's licence or be willing to double up on a patrol if they do not have a licence.
Anyone keen to volunteer can contact Hadlee on 027 669 6016, grahamhadlee780@gmail.com or police Senior Constable Martin Geddes at martin.geddes@police.govt.nz, 09 432 4030
