Regular drills to ensure beach rescue services are alert

EVEN though the summer season is coming to an end, the Benalmadena Council is alert to the fact that whilst the weather stays so hot and it remains light quite late that there will be plenty of people visiting the beaches.

Even when the schools are back, children will probably be clamouring to spend the afternoon at the beach and this is where safety measures are so important.

Councillor for Beaches, Encarnación Cortés; and fire chief, David Bañasco have observed a maritime rescue drill that took place on the beach of Arroyo de la Miel which included the team of lifeguards in order to consider optimum response times.

The simulation assumed that a bather was in difficulty about 175 metres from the shore and it included a rescue using a jet ski with the victim transported to a medical team manning an ambulance from the Rescue and Lifeguard Service.

Councillor Cortés commented that so far this year, there have been no serious incidents on Benalmadena beaches but it was important to be alert and ensure that the team was ready to cope when necessary.