A perfect summers day greeted Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Life Savers on Sunday, 6 December, but it was an unfriendly surf. With the prospect of large crowds the beach was opened, and adding to this during the day an accident in the Royal National Park resulted in higher than usual crowds at Stanwell Park Beach. Rostered Patrols were Patrol 2 - Captain Karl Weber in the morning, and Patrol 3 - Captain Ed White in the afternoon.

Around the change of patrols the tide was on the rise and conditions were becoming increasingly dangerous, but with the large number on the beach and unfavourable conditions up and down the beach the Patrol Captain kept the beach open to ensure swimmers were contained to one area of the beach. With all of the patrol on the waters edge the patrol was able to keep the number of rescues to a minimum and preventative actions high.

The Nippers hit the water at around 3:00 pm using the conditions as a learning experience, swimming across the channel onto the sandbar, and back all the time getting dragging around by the currents and rips. Some age groups even tried floating in the channel to experience the effects of drag. Well done to all the club Water Safety for keeping the kids safe.

By the end of the day there were 5 rescues close to shore and more than 200 preventative actions.

A great effort by all the clubs life savers on the day, which included a number of the clubs new Surf Rescue Certificate holders....what an introduction to patrolling.

Just when the life savers thought they could head home, a person collapsed in the lower carpark, badly affected by alochol and drugs. Patrol Members rendered assistance for more than 30 minutes while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Congratulations to the patrol members who assisted this person after hours, and made what was potentially a bad situation better...well done.