SOUTH PADRE ISLAND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND BEACH PATROLBEACH PATROL
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND SOUTH PADRE ISLAND SURF RESCUESURF RESCUE
SPI Beach Patrol HistorySPI Beach Patrol History
Established in 2008
Began with a “roving beach patrol”
Thousands of visitors come to the Thousands of visitors come to the island to enjoy the quality of the island to enjoy the quality of the
beachesbeaches
With the enjoyment of the With the enjoyment of the beaches comes riskbeaches comes risk
There have been multiple drownings on the beaches of South Padre Island over the last five years. All but one has been on the unprotected beaches outside the city limits of SPI.
Unintentional Fatalities 2005 (% of sub-categories):Unintentional Fatalities 2005 (% of sub-categories):Drowning deaths represent the highest percentage of all Drowning deaths represent the highest percentage of all
unintentional fatalities.unintentional fatalities.
Drowning45%
Motor Vehicle19%
Personal Watercraft2%
Vessel8% Other
8%
Aircraft9%
Fall9%
Aircraft
Drowning
Fall
Motor Vehicle
Personal Watercraft
Vessel
Other
What’s the Risk?What’s the Risk?
The United States Lifesaving Association estimates that approximately 60% - 80% of beaches in the U.S. are unguarded.
The USLA has estimated that the chances of drowning at a beach that is protected by lifeguards to be less than one in 18 million.
National Center for Health National Center for Health Statistics & C.D.C. (’00-’01)Statistics & C.D.C. (’00-’01)
About 4,000 people die from drowning in the United States each year.
Males account for over 75% of all drownings each year.
National Center for Health National Center for Health Statistics & C.D.C. (’00 – ’01)Statistics & C.D.C. (’00 – ’01)
Approximately 50% - 75% of all drownings occur in open water.
Alcohol use is involved in about 25% to 50% of adolescent and adult deaths associated with water recreation.
Current safety issuesCurrent safety issuesLarger, more concentrated crowds Resulting in resources being utilized in those areas leaving other areas of the beach unprotected
Additional responsibilitiesAdditional responsibilities
Lost childrenMinor First Aid Care
Proposed Improvements to Proposed Improvements to response capabilitiesresponse capabilities
Mitigating the Drowning RiskMitigating the Drowning Risk
Through Staffing & Equipment: Add more Lifeguards to the Program Increase Lifeguard stand/tower coverage Continue vehicle beach Patrols Deploy the Rescue Boat and/or Personal
Watercraft as soon as the possibility of need exists
Additional lifeguardsAdditional lifeguards
Seven new lifeguard standsSeven new lifeguard stands
Stands to be placed at points Stands to be placed at points of most visitor concentrationof most visitor concentration
Maintain two beach patrol Maintain two beach patrol vehicles staffed by two personnelvehicles staffed by two personnel
Additional rescue equipmentAdditional rescue equipment
Maintain all additional resourcesMaintain all additional resources
Rescue Watercraft and Zodiac beach boat
Current rescue staffingCurrent rescue staffing
March to end of May:
2 guards weekdays – 4 guards weekends
Spring Break: 17 weekdays – 10 weekends
June to Labor Day:
4 weekdays – 6 weekends
Proposed StaffingProposed Staffing
March 1 to Memorial Day:
4 weekdays to increase based on number of visitors.
8 weekends
Memorial Day to Labor day:
7 during week – 12 on weekends
Staffing IncreaseStaffing Increase
March to Memorial Day – Increase of 6 per week
Memorial Day to Labor Day – Increase of 9 per week