Surf Life Saving NSW, in support of Surfing NSW, will provide increased aerial and on-water surveillance this weekend as boardriding clubs across the Northern Beaches prepare for key competitive events.
It comes after a man was tragically attacked by a shark at Dee Why beach last Saturday, 6 September.
Surfing NSW CEO, Lucas Townsend, said the surfing community has felt this week deeply. “It’s been an extremely tough week for our tight-knit boardriding community on the Northern Beaches, but the way our clubs have rallied behind those affected has been incredible.”
“Our focus now is helping clubs, volunteers and members feel confident returning to the ocean. With support from Surf Life Saving NSW, every club round this weekend will have a visible water-safety presence to help rebuild confidence across our surfing community. We’re grateful to SLSNSW for standing alongside our clubs.”
Surf Life Saving assets including jet skis and drones will be positioned across the competition area for board riding events at North Avalon, Mona Vale and Queenscliff on Saturday and Sunday, 13 and 14 September. These assets will be keeping an eye over competitors and potential beachgoers at each location.
“Coastal safety is very important to us, and given our close working relationship with Surfing NSW we wanted to assist in increasing confidence to surfers who might be competing at any of the board riding events on the Northern Beaches this weekend,” SLSNSW General Manager, Public Safety & Emergency Management Brent Manieri said.
“While the season is still a few weeks away, our volunteer lifesavers are always prepared to provide a service to the community, and our Rescue Services personnel have the capability in this space to help the events run smoothly.”
Sydney Northern Beaches Branch CEO, Tracey Hare-Boyd said that the community had been hit hard by the incident at Dee Why last weekend and it was important to the Surf Life Saving movement to play a role in bringing some normality back.
“When something like this happens so close to home, you really feel the impact in the local community,” she said.
“Our surf clubs are microcosms of the community, and our volunteer lifesavers represent all the good that our communities on the Northern Beaches do.
“We’re hopeful that by being present at these board riding events, surfers can feel that bit safer and that bit more secure heading into the water to do what they love.”
“With the recent tragic events on our local beaches, QBC members have felt vulnerable and apprehensive about returning to the water. Running our monthly comp was important to bring our community together in these difficult times,” said Tim Quinn, Co-President of Queenscliff Boardriders.
“We’ve received incredible support from Surfing NSW and Surf Life Saving NSW this week, through both information and practical comp-day assistance, which has given our members a huge boost in confidence. That swift and tangible help is allowing us to get back to what we love.”