As part of the City of Cape Town’s annual Festive Season Safety Plan, 250 trained and accredited lifeguards will be deployed to various beaches between 10:00 and 18:00 daily, throughout the summer season.
This is in addition to Lifesaving Western Province’s volunteer services, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), and the Medic helicopter.
There will also be 283 lifeguards on duty at the City’s 36 public swimming pools. All public pools will be open between 10:00 and 17:00 daily, except for the Blue Downs, Long Street, Strand and Sea Point swimming pools, which will be open from 07:00 to 19:00 daily.
Regular checks will be conducted at the public amenities of City beaches and swimming pools to ensure that all bathrooms and showers are clean and in working order, facilities are kept neat and maintained, and tidal pools at beaches are properly managed.
The City has a formal partnership with Lifesaving Western Province, who will appoint and deploy a minimum of 300 lifeguards sourced from existing lifesaving clubs. Beach users are advised to use the beaches patrolled by lifeguards, rather than using unpatrolled beaches.
Lifeguards will be deployed according to breakdown below:
“In addition to the above services, the City will be making beach wheelchairs available at ten of its beaches. The provision of the wheel chairs underscores our commitment to being an Inclusive City, by enhancing access to natural resources for all citizens,” said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Tandeka Gqada.
The following Blue Flag beaches will have lifeguards on duty, daily between 10:00 – 18:00: Bikini(Gordon’s Bay), Mnandi, Strandfontein, Muizenberg, Llandudno, Camps Bay, Clifton 4th and Silwerstroomstrand. Residents and visitors are requested to adhere to the following safety tips on beaches:
- Swim only where there a lifeguards and where signs indicate that it is safe to do so
- Make sure that lifeguards can see you when you are in the water
- Do not swim where lifeguards are not present
- Always swim between the red and yellow flags. These indicate safe, supervised swimming areas. Areas outside these flags might conceal dangerous currents and tides. Only swim in areas where other people are present
- If you find yourself in trouble, raise your arm to attract the lifeguard’s attention. Try not to panic as this will tire you
- If you see someone else in trouble in the sea, alert the lifeguards or find help. Do not put your own life in danger as well
- Ensure that you protect your skin from exposure to the sun.
- Don’t drink alcohol before swimming or driving motor boats. The use of alcohol dulls the senses, slows the reactions and can lead to irresponsible behaviour
- Don’t dive from tidal pool walls – this can result in spinal injuries
- Do not take small or unstable boats out far from the shore in choppy water or bad weather
Any emergency and/or distress call regarding a drowning incident can be reported to the City’s 107 emergency number. Dial 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone.
With changing weather patterns, visitors to Cape Town’s beaches should also be on the lookout for rip currents. If you don’t know how to identify a rip current, please ask a lifeguard on duty whether it is safe to enter the water.
Remember that lifeguards are there to assist swimmers and help those who get into difficulty in the water. Please adhere to their instructions.
