Out-of-town visitors are needlessly putting themselves at risk this summer by swimming at Dunedin beaches that have no surf life-saving patrols.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand cub support officer, Otago-Southland, Maddy Crawford made that point yesterday and warned that inexperienced swimmers faced a "difficult environment''.
"A lot of people get out of their depth.''
Miss Crawford's "key message'' was that if people were going to go swimming or surfing, "do this at a beach that is patrolled and always swim between the flags''.
Off-duty lifeguards were called on to rescue nine swimmers at St Kilda Beach, in Dunedin, on November 1, all stuck in a rip, and starting with the rescue of five swimmers at 3pm.
A dozen swimmers and surfers were also rescued from a rip at Smaills Beach on November 18 by surf life-savers from both the St Clair and St Kilda clubs.
Among those rescued were several visitors from Europe.
Miss Crawford said she was among lifeguards in two inflatable rescue boats who decided to check on the unpatrolled Smaills Beach and saw "large numbers of surfers'' in the rip.
The surf was "big and powerful'', the surfers were "in great danger'' and signalled for help.
Miss Crawford had noticed an increase in the number of people, including out-of-town visitors, swimming at Dunedin beaches, including Tomahawk and Smaills Beach, which were not covered by holiday surf patrols.
There were rips at both beaches, and weather conditions were rapidly changeable.
It was planned to extend lifeguard patrols to Tomahawk Beach early next year.
