Life guards quiet despite crowds

Mangawhai’s natural beauty and New Zealand’s sizzling summer attracted record numbers to the surf beach over the recent official season. The influx meant a busy time for surf life savers, who were in charge of overseeing between 450 – 600 beachgoers at the peak of the holiday period.

However, Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service (MHVLS) Public Relations Officer, Tony Baker says that despite the crowds, lifeguard involvement was comparatively quiet.

“Although both professional and volunteer lifeguards saw a huge influx of visitors over the busy Christmas and New Year break… with the likes of Northern Bass playing a massive role… due to a very low surf season, incidents have been kept to a minimum.”

Rescue statistics for MHVLS show between December 24 and January 6, lifeguards were involved with over 1300 members of the public including three rescues, three assists, one search, 231 preventative actions such as warning people of rocks and strong currents, and nine first aids with only one being classed as a major incident.

“We were excited to qualify a number of new lifeguards this year, along with a handful of IRB [inflatable rescue boat] drivers,” Baker says. “We also had a really positive response for our Annual Door Knock Fundraiser, huge thanks to everyone who gave so generously to the club.”

Baker says the main issue for MHVLS over the summer was traffic congestion at the Mangawhai Heads Reserve, due to the restricted availability of parking.

“Some people were also using the club’s access as beach access due to limited space, but otherwise, all good.”