International visitors are being reminded about the dangers at the beach with a campaign to reduce the number of drownings and rescues in Gold Coast waters this summer.
This is the first time that City of Gold Coast has specifically targeted an international audience for the annual Summer Surf Safety campaign.
"The Gold Coast welcomes about 1 million visitors each year with summer holidays being the most popular time for international tourists," said Mayor Tom Tate.
"Our research has shown that many international visitors don't understand what the red and yellow flags stand for, nor can they spot dangerous rips."
"This is why an educational surf safety campaign is crucial to keep them safe in the water during their visit."
As the city heats up and the crowds increase for summer holidays, extended beach patrol hours are now in place from 7:30am to 6:30pm daily until 28 January 2024.
"This summer we will have 260 professional lifeguards patrolling the 42 beaches from Rainbow Bay to the Seaway," said Chief Lifeguard Chris Maynard.
"The most important thing for beachgoers to remember is to swim between the flags and never swim at night or under the influence of alcohol or other drugs."
"Even if the water looks calm, the ocean can be unpredictable with conditions changing suddenly and if we can't see you, we can't help you," Chris added.
Over a five-month period between November 2022 and April 2023 most rescues occurred during the holiday period with 456 in December and 567 in January.
Overall between January and November this year, two people have drowned at Gold Coast beaches with almost 1400 rescues carried out by City lifeguards.
The Summer Surf Safety campaign will feature on digital and social media channels aimed at visitors from the UK, New Zealand, USA, Canada, China, India, Japan and Germany.
The ads will appear in various languages including English, Hindi, German, Mandarin and Japanese to ensure the surf safety message is being received by the largest portion of our international visitors.
Key surf safety tips:
- Always swim between the red and yellow flags
- No flags = no swim
- Never swim at night and never swim under the influence of alcohol or other drugs
- FLOAT to SURVIVE. If you are caught in a rip, don't fight it, FLOAT with the rip
- If you find yourself in trouble in the water, wave your arm to gain attention of nearby surfers or lifeguards.
- If in doubt, don't go out.
