Faced with two drownings over the Easter weekend, the T&T Life Saving Society has renewed its call for Government to hire more lifeguards to patrol T&T’s beaches.
In an interview yesterday, president Ann Singh said more than 100 people were certified annually by the society with the hope they could be employed by the Ministry of National Security.
“There are many certified lifesavers who want to be employed as a lifeguard.
We work in collaboration with the Canadian Life Saving Society and we are trying to minimise drownings so it is really sad that so many people drowned over the long weekend,” Singh said.
Among those who drowned were 61-year-old Beville Simonette, of Tacarigua, who drowned in Maracas and Trevin Lalla, 31, of Balmain, Couva, who drowned at Guayaguayare on Monday.
Singh said during long weekends when more people were likely to go to the beaches the Government should consider hiring more lifeguards to patrol.
She also called on members of the public always to obey the instruction and advice of lifeguards, particularly when they imposed restrictions on specific bathing areas.
“People disobey the lifeguards and take too many risks. You should always speak to lifeguards first if you are uncertain about the sea conditions before you go into the water,” Singh said.
She added that guards work from 10 am to 6 pm, yet people go into unsafe areas before guards take up official duty.
“We have an ongoing public education drive in several schools along with the Ministry of National Security.
Our aim is to take preventative measures to minimise drownings,” Singh said. Asked to confirm reports that lifeguard equipment used at Maracas Bay was dysfunctional, Singh said she had no information on that.
However, a lifeguard, who requested anonymity, claimed the inflatable rafts and jet skis used to patrol the beaches were in need of maintenance.
Contacted yesterday for comment, a senior official at the Life Guard Department of the National Security Ministry said that was not so.
He also denied there was a shortage of lifeguards.
Saying that recruitment takes place regularly, the official said each guard had to undergo two years of training before he could officially take up duty.
The source also said that in some areas, lifeguards took up work before 10 am.
National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and permanent secretary Simeon Yearwood were engaged in meetings and did not respond to questions.
A list of questions was sent to the ministry’s Corporate Communications Department but up to press time, there was no response to them.