A message from the Cork beach lifeguard team

The advice this season from the lifeguards overseeing the Cork beaches is as follows:

- It not advised to use Inflatables at the beach or on open water.  They are very dangerous and can be blown out to sea or taken away from the accompanying adult very quickly by currents.  There have been a number of rescues off the coast this season already so the beach guards are appealing to parents to help us keep your children safe by not bringing inflatables to the beach this summer.

- When doing any aquatic activity like canoeing, kayaking or fishing it is vital to wear a life jacket. Already we have had a number of rescues relating to ranoeists and these could have been avoided.

- We lose approx. 30 children to drowning every 10 years in Ireland.  Mainly down to lack of supervision & education. Parents or accompanying adults must supervise their children vigilantly when beside or in the water. Look at the safety signs together, talk about the Flag System at the beach. Plan what to do if you get split up at the beach & ensure your child knows your telephone number. Have a look around to see where the ring buoys are.  All these are important aspects of keeping your family safe on day out at the beach this summer.

- Check out the Cork County Council Beach Lifeguard Facebook to see what the conditions at each lifeguarded beach in Cork are before you set off on your journey.  Lifeguards are on duty from 10.30am to 7pm full time for July and August and the first 2 weekends of September. The lifeguards are asking people to respect social distancing and adopt a Swim & Go Policy at the beaches this Summer. Safety on the sand and in the Sea!  The beach is a shared space so please respect all beach users.

Report any missing or damaged ring buoys on www.ringbuoys.ie  & remember a stolen ring buoy is a stolen life.