Lifeguards are found but ‘digs’ still an issue

ONE senior lifeguard and two team lifeguards have been appointed to five of West Cork’s beaches.

In addition, two of the busiest beaches in the region – Inchydoney and Barleycove – have been assigned two senior lifeguards, who will each be working with four team lifeguards.

That comes to a total of nine senior lifeguards, as well as 18 team lifeguards, appointed by the Council to West Cork.

The local authority confirmed that it has also recruited 13 relief lifeguards to provide cover for the existing teams throughout the county.

Meanwhile, it has advertised for additional lifeguards for the supplementary panel due to the urgent need for additional relief staff.

A spokesperson for the Council said the minimum age for a lifeguard must be 18 years, or turning 18 during the summer season.

The West Cork beaches that will have lifeguard cover this summer include: Barleycove, Tragumna, The Warren in Rosscarbery, Owenahincha Inchydoney, Garrettstown, and Garrylucas.

Lifeguards will be on duty at weekends during the month of June and will be working full-time during the months of July and August. They will also be working up to September 10th.

The lifeguards will be on duty between 10.30am to 7pm daily. The presence of a lifeguard can be noted by the display of a red-over-yellow flag on the beach. A red flag indicates that swimming is not advised.

In a safety advisory notice, the Council is appealing to the public not to use inflatables at any open water locations because they are highly dangerous.

Each year the arrival of the lifeguards, most of whom are students, coincides with a demand for temporary accommodation in some of the busiest tourism destinations in the country.

Already appeals have gone out on social media sites as lifeguards try to find overnight homes for the summer in places near Barleycove and Inchydoney.