Lifeguards set to return to Sunderland's Roker beach as lockdown restrictions eased

Lifeguards will be returning to Sunderland’s Roker beach this weekend as lockdown restrictions are eased further.
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On Saturday, July 4, lifeguards from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) will resume patrols on Roker beach as the organisation steps up its life-saving service.

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It comes as the RNLI confirmed that its lifeguards will be returning to five more beaches in the North East this weekend, meaning that there will be professional lifeguard patrols on more than 160 beaches in England, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Lifeguards will return to Roker beach on Saturday, July 4. Image by RNLI.Lifeguards will return to Roker beach on Saturday, July 4. Image by RNLI.
Lifeguards will return to Roker beach on Saturday, July 4. Image by RNLI.

Lifeguards will now be at beaches including those at King Edwards Bay, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay and Whitley Bay North.

These services add to those at Longsands, Sandhaven and Seaburn beaches, which went live in June.

Councillor John Kelly, cabinet member for Vibrant city at Sunderland City Council, said: ‘We’re delighted to see RNLI lifeguards returning to Roker Beach this Saturday, July 4, in addition to the ones we already have on duty at Seaburn Beach.

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“But it’s also important that we all know how to keep ourselves and others safe near water.

“So we would encourage anyone planning on heading to the beach this summer to check out the advice on the RNLI website: https://rnli.org/safety before setting out and to keep on an eye on their families when they are there.”

New measures to deal with coronavirus will see RNLI lifeguards wearing PPE in some situations, while new protocols for all first responders mean the lifeguards may not deal with some minor first aid cases but will support people to treat themselves.

They will also try to keep socially distant from beach goers and may need to adopt different patrol methods at times, such as asking people to keep apart but close to shore.

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Darren Lewis, RNLI Lifesaving Manager, North and East said: “I want to thank all those lifeguards who have already started their patrols or are now preparing to get back on the beach – they know this will be a challenging summer and are doing a brilliant job helping to keep the public safe during this pandemic.”

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