In most coastal towns, the provision of lifeguards on the beaches ends with the summer season at the start of September, but in Santa Pola they will be in service through to the end of November.
This was established in the municipal specifications that was obtained in a public tender by the company OffShore Special Service. “In 2021 Santa Pola had 71 days of first aid and for this year we have extended it to 100 days. From 2023 it will be 150 days. It is the first time that this has been done in our municipality” says Ángel Piedecausa, Councillor for Beaches.
Specifically, the lifeguards will be at Levante Beach on Saturdays and Sundays from ten in the morning until four in the afternoon. This service will continue until the last weekend of November.
On the other hand, the City Council intends to encourage the practice of activities and water sports during this winter, such as jet skis, diving, surfing, parasailing, etc.
“Our idea is that Playa Levante becomes a sports beach in these winter months. That is why it is important that lifeguards remain in force so that the kids who practice these water sports have a little more security” the councillor says.
The high season of 2022 closed with a balance of 1,670 assistances made by the workers of the lifeguard service. In the vast majority of cases, they were minor mishaps, such as jellyfish stings or small bumps.
There were only 167 people who required more extensive care. Among them, on 72 occasions it was necessary to transfer them to the nearest medical centre, while the lifeguards were able to solve the problem on the beach in the rest of the mishaps.
Unfortunately, the death of an 83-year-old woman on Levante beach was sad. She “she was an elderly person who already had previous heart conditions and she fainted when she entered the water. Despite the speed with which she was attended to by the rescue services and the resuscitation that was carried out, unfortunately nothing could be done for her” regrets Piedecausa.
On the other hand, since last September, special flags have been installed on Santa Poleras beaches with codes that colourblind people can recognise. Thus, even if a bather is unable to recognise the colours green, yellow or red, they will be able to know if bathing is advisable depending on the day’s weather.
“We are one of the first municipalities in the Valencian Community to place this type of flag. It is something very simple that has hardly generated an economic expense and can help many people. They have been placed on all our beaches” the councillor says.
