Changing of the guard
Lifeguard Liam Toohey and his family will be leaving us during the school holidays to take up a position in Peregian – we wish him all the best!
Our two outstanding lifeguards, Liam Toohey and Rory Sanders, have been based in Rainbow Beach for five years.
Sadly for us, they have just learned they are moving on. Liam will move to Peregian in mid September with his wife and three children and, though he will miss everything about Rainbow, he is looking forward to rejoining his extended family back on the Sunshine Coast.
Rory is taking up an eight-month stint at Agnew Waters and we have lost not only a talented lifeguard, but an exceptional photographer.
Rory took the photo for our cover this month. He has a flair for the water and the stars and spent many months in Scandinavia on photographic assignments over the past two years.
Here is Liam’s last report. He will be replaced by accomplished lifeguard Jake McKellan from Noosa and we wish Liam and Rory all the best and welcome Jake to our community.
Rainbow Beach and Double Island Point is now approaching the “busy” season with September and summer school holidays just around the corner. However, reflecting on the statistics, incidents, and rescues in our region over the “off season” it is noted that numbers are trending at capacity, especially on the weekends.
These trends, mixed with our expansive area and “high risk activity” leaves all our emergency services stretched and on a high level of anticipation.
We are trained and prepared to respond to incidents, but please remember it is every individual’s responsibility to do your best to avoid creating unnecessary pressure on our local emergency services, simply by making good choices.
Some of these poor choices I have witnessed recently, which have made me cringe include, but are not limited to…. An AWD car doing doughnuts right at the cutting, ruining the tracks, while two people are hanging out either side of the windows with their selfie sticks filming. A recipe for a roll over and entrapment.
Jet skis jumping waves in the flags around swimmers. Cars speeding through the beach car park. A large group of drunk incompetent swimmers outside the flags throwing their bottles into the ocean. This sort of behaviour is not okay and not welcomed to our beautiful region.
We welcome positive behaviour which encourages a safe environment in our community. Please take the time to know the rules, to make good decisions and to enjoy, protect and respect our region for all it has to offer.
The Lifeguard and Volunteer patrols look forward to welcoming everyone onto the beach this “busy” season, please stop for a chat if you have any questions and as always, “swim between the red and yellow flags”.
