Incidents 2005

This document is a summary of some of the more serious incidents which have occurred on Rest Bay during the 2005 season. It includes all rescues and assistances performed and all occasions where a casualty was transported to hospital by ambulance (Medivac). Numerous other first aids and other incidents occurred during the season and are listed below.

Rescues: 13

Assistance: 11
First Aid: 126
Incidents where patient was advised to attend casualty: 18
Medivac: 5

Sunday 18^th September 2005

Some of the biggest spring tides of the year and surf of approximately 3 foot meant the current was very strong. Lifeguards made numerous announcements to warn the public of the danger however the following rescues could not be prevented during the incoming tide:

17.00 RESCUE A man in his 20’s got into difficulties whilst surfing and was drifting dangerously close to the point. Lifeguards noticed he was struggling and launched the Surf Rescue IRB to rescue him and return him to the beach. 

IRB Crew: Mike Kay (coxswain), Chris Page (crewperson)

17.30 RESCUE A man in his late 40’s got into difficulties and was drifting passed the point. Surf Rescue IRB launched and rescued him returning him to the beach.

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Sarah Davies (crewperson)

Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis, Sarah Davies

Conditions: 3 foot surf, Light SW wind, Incoming tide

Tuesday 23^rd August 2005

11.10 RESCUE A 14 year old body boarder got into difficulties in the rip current at the point side of the bay. The tide was dropping but there was a strong rip running along the rocks. Gareth swam over to him and assisted him back into the beach.

Duty Lifeguards: Gareth Davies, Sarah Davies, Andrew Murphy
Conditions: 4 foot surf, Strong SW wind

Saturday 20^th August 2005

13.30 RESCUE  39 year old kite surfer lost his kite board and was in difficulties approximately 100m off the point at Rest Bay. The tide was fully out and he was drifting in direction of Hutchwns point. The Surf Rescue IRB was launched and initially stood by as the man wished to swim ashore. After approximately 5 minutes he realised this would not be possible so ditched his kite and swam ashore whilst the rescue boat recovered his kite. Whilst the IRB returned back into the main bay it performed a quick search for the kite board which was recovered and returned to the kite surfer.

17.50 RESCUE A girl in her 20’s on a body board was battling against the strong current and drifting in the direction of the point. The current was particularly strong due to the combination of the largest tides of the year and a strong SW wind. The Surf Rescue IRB was launched going out through 4-5 foot surf and rescued the girl seconds before she would have been swept onto the rocks.

18.30 ASSISTANCE A boy on a surf board was assisted back to shore by Chris Page on a malibu rescue board. He was drifting dangerously close to rocks.

Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis, Sarah Davies

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Gemma Lewis (crewperson)
Tide: Low Tide – 13.55     High Tide – 19.55

Friday 19^th August 2005

16.30 RESCUE A 35 year old windsurfer had got into difficulties approximately 200m off the point at Rest Bay. He was struggling against the wind and tide and drifting rapidly in direction of Hutchwns point. Surf Rescue IRB was launched to assist him. They made contact with him after a few minutes due to progress being hindered by heavy seas. On arrival it was decided best action would be to de-rig the sail in order to save his equipment. Once the kit was packed up the IRB had drifted well passed Hutchwns point. The windsurfer and equipment was returned safely to the beach at Rest Bay at around 16.55.

 17.15 RESCUE The Surf Rescue IRB was launched to a 29 year old surfer who was drifting dangerously close to the the point at Rest Bay. He was struggling to paddle against the very strong current. The IRB got to him through heavy surf just as he started to drift passed the point. The IRB had to time its approach carefully to avoid being caught out by a large wave. The IRB performed a quick pick up negotiating a large wave moments after picking the casualty up. The man was taken back into the main bay further up current where he continued surfing.

Duty Lifeguards: Gareth Davies, Gemma Lewis, Gareth Davies (Jnr).

Voluntary Lifeguards: Chris Page
IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Gemma Lewis (crewperson)
Conditions: Sunny intervals, Strong SW wind, 4-5 foot surf, incoming tide

Tuesday 16^th August 2005

16.00 ASSISTANCE Two boys approximately 75m from shore in a dinghy were assisted back into shallower water by Hywel Davies on a malibu rescue board.

Duty Lifeguard: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis, Sarah Davies

Voluntary Lifeguards: Hywel Davies
Conditions: Sunny, Light SW wind, 1 foot surf, incoming tide

Monday 8^th August 2005

14.05 MEDIVAC A member of public alerted lifeguards at lifeguard station to a lady in her late fifties who had fallen on rocks in golf bay suffering injuries to her ankle. Gareth Davies attended the scene on the quad bike. He informed base that an ambulance would be required and tended to her injuries which included a suspected broken ankle. When the ambulance crew arrived the casualty was moved using a stretcher to the lifeguard 4x4 and transported across the beach to the ambulance waiting at the lifeguard station.

Duty Lifeguards: Gareth Davies, Keith Batten, Chris Page

Conditions: Hot and sunny, SW wind

Sunday 7^th August 2005

15.10 MEDIVAC Keith, who was on patrol at waters edge in 4x4 was alerted to a female casualty in her late fifties in Golf Bay suffering breathing difficulties. He alerted lifeguards at base who met him at the scene with oxygen equipment on the quad bike. Oxygen therapy was administered. Casualty was transported from the beach in the 4x4 and met by an ambulance waiting at the lifeguard station.

Duty Lifeguards: Keith Batten, Chris Page, Gemma Lewis

Conditions: Sunny, SW wind

Thursday 21^st July 2005

16.30 ASSISTANCE 3 girls got into trouble due to strong current towards the point. They were assisted out of the water by Gareth Davies and Sarah Davies.

17.00 RESCUE A boy got into difficulties and was drifting towards the rocks at the point. Gareth Davies paddled out on a rescue board and brought the boy back into the beach.

Duty Lifeguards: Sarah Davies, Gareth Davies (Jnr.), Jenni Jones

Conditions: Overcast, Strong SW wind, 1-2 foot messy surf

Sunday 4^th July 2005

16.45 RESCUE 10 year old boy failed to move over despite tannoy announcements and was now drifting dangerously close to rocks. He was struggling against the strong current. Rescued from water by Chris Page using rescue tube.

Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis and Gareth Davies (Jnr.)

Conditions: Overcast, Strong SW wind, 3-4 foot messy surf

Saturday 25^th June 2005

16.10 RESCUE 29 year old kite surfer got into difficulties so ditched kite and swam ashore. Due to strong (NE) offshore wind his kite began blowing out to sea. A windsurfer went across to attempt to stop it but his windsurfing rig became tangled in the lines. The kite and windsurfer were now drifting approx. 400m offshore. Surf Rescue IRB launched at 16.12 with kite surfer on board in order to recover the kite. The lines were untangled and kite was deflated and brought back to shore in the IRB. The windsurfer returned to shore unaided.

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Gemma Lewis (crewperson)
Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis and Sarah Davies
Conditions: Overcast, Strong NE offshore wind, no surf

Thursday 23^rd June 2005

18.10 RESCUE Two longboarders caught in strong current around the point on incoming tide. Due to the spring tides and the surf the current was flowing very rapidly. The surfers were unable to paddle against it. The Surf Rescue IRB was launched to rescue both surfers who were drifting down into the cove.

18.15 ASSISTANCE Following the above rescue a surfer who was finding it difficult to paddle against the current was picked up by the Surf Rescue IRB and dropped further up current to prevent him drifting any closer to the point.

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Rhys Brothers (crewman)
Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page, Gemma Lewis and Rhys Brothers
Conditions: Hot and Sunny, Light SW wind, 3-4 foot surf

Friday 17^th June 2005

13.25 ASSISTANCE 20 year old surfer caught in rip current towards point on incoming tide. His proximity to rocks meant that rescue from the water was not possible. He was assisted onto the rocks by Chris Page and Gemma Lewis.

17.15 RESCUE 17 year old surfer caught in rip current towards point on outgoing tide. He was drifting in direction of the rocks. Surf Rescue IRB launched to rescue the casualty and his surfboard.

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Gemma Lewis (crewperson)

Duty Lifeguards: Gemma Lewis, Sarah Davies and Rhys Brothers
Other Lifeguards Involved: Chris Page
Conditions: Cloudy, Light SW wind, 3-4 foot surf

Saturday 7^th May 2005

13.45 FIRST AID 29 year old kiteboarder took a nasty fall on beach in front of golf club whilst flying his kite, injuring his ankle. Treated for shock and ice applied to his ankle. Transported from beach using quad bike and trailer. Monitored in first aid room whilst friend collected car and lifeguards advised him to seek further medical advice.

Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page and Gemma Lewis

Conditions: Sunny, strong SW wind

Monday 2^nd May 2005 (Bank Holiday)

16.20 ASSISTANCE Man capsized canoe near to point. He was drifting close to the point. Hywel Davies who was patrolling on the quad bike was alerted and proceeded to the point where he assisted the man and canoe from the water.

Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page and Gemma Lewis

Other Lifeguards Involved: Hywel Davies
Conditions: Sunny Spells, SW Wind, 1-2 foot surf, falling tide

Saturday 30^th April 2005

13.15 RESCUE 14 year old boy on bodyboard caught in rip current and swept towards point on outgoing tide. Unable to make his own way back to shore. Surf Rescue IRB launched to rescue boy and return him to the beach.

IRB Crew: Chris Page (coxswain), Andrew Murphy (crewman)
Duty Lifeguards: Chris Page and Andrew Murphy
Other Lifeguards Involved: Gareth Davies
Conditions: Sunny, light offshore winds, 1-2 foot surf, falling tide