As beaches attract a lot of people, especially during the summer season and the past Easter holiday, additional safety measures have been put in place at numerous sites across the country by the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) – and Bloubergstrand beach is one of them.
Because of the size of many beaches, and the risks associated with these beaches, including rip currents, it is important to have layers of safety, in addition to lifeguards.
This is according to Andrew Ingram, Drowning Prevention Manager at the NSRI who states that part of their mandate as the drowning prevention department at the NSRI is to look at innovative ways to save the lives of South African water users.
One of these innovative ways includes beach cameras to help both beachgoers and lifesaving teams.
To date, the NSRI beach cameras are strategically placed at beaches that have dangerous rip currents.
Boy saved
Other beaches besides Bloubergstrand include Strand Beach, Herolds Bay (Garden Route area) and Buffels Bay.
“Earlier this year, one of the beach cameras at Strand Beach helped to save the life of a young boy, Matthew (10) who was spotted by our drowning prevention camera operator. He was pulled away from the beach by a rip current and was struggling to stay afloat. Our camera operator spotted him, and we immediately alerted the local lifeguards to the emergency.
“The family of the young boy will forever be grateful to the eyes behind the camera monitor who was able to spot the child in trouble,” Ingram says.
Lezhae Snyders, the camera operator at the NSRI’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), describes this day as any ordinary day in the EOC.
“This all changed whilst I was doing my regular monitoring and when I saw that someone was in trouble I zoomed in to confirm. I quickly alerted the lifeguards who had not yet started their day shift,” explains Snyders.
“The aim is to expand this project into other areas, and we are aiming to install more cameras in the Western Cape and KZN by the end of this year,” adds Ingram.
Volunteers needed
In some areas, the NSRI needs volunteers to man these cameras, especially since their rescue volunteers have a lot on their plates.
“So having volunteers who can assist by monitoring a Beach Safety Camera from the safety of their living room and alert us to any dangers, enables us to save more lives.
“We will provide training to these volunteers on how to operate the cameras and our Emergency Operations Centre is always ready to jump in and help should a volunteer need some guidance.
“In Herolds Bay, we have a pool of volunteers that work closely with the first responders in that area,” Ingram says.
Rip currents
“Often rip currents move slowly enough to barely be detected, but given the right circumstances of waves and beach profile, they can develop into currents moving at speeds of up to two metres per second – faster than any of us can swim.
“Ranging in width from just a few metres to a hundred metres, they pull to just behind where the waves form and then lose their power.”
A rip current is not the same as a rip tide which is formed as the tide ebbs and flows through a narrow opening such as an estuary.
Extremely dangerous rip tides are often found at the Knysna Heads.
Rip currents claim the lives of many people each year. Rip currents develop where there are breaking waves.
Bigger waves produce stronger currents and these “rivers” of current are produced by water moving from the beach back out to sea.
They happen all the time at many beaches and are the biggest danger that visitors face in the water.
As with all risks, avoiding rip currents altogether is the safest strategy. To do this swim at a beach where lifeguards are on duty and swim between their flags.
“Although an untrained eye may struggle to see rip currents, stronger rip currents give telltale signs,” Ingram says.
“With patience and careful observation, it is not hard to see that water in a channel or ‘river’ between breaking waves is moving away from the beach. The current may not flow straight out from the beach. It may flow at an angle or have a bend or two in it before it gets to the backline where waves are forming.”
To become a beach camera volunteer email andrewi@searescue.org.za.
