Move To Form Life-saving Patrol At Waitarere

Chronicle (Levin), 1 February 1949, Page 4

Move To Form Life-saving Patrol At Waitarere

With the object of arousing interest in Surf life-saving and with a view to the inaugurating a patrol at Waitarere Beach, the Foxton Surf and Life-Saving Club staged a demonstration there on Sunday. Tne • visit was sponsored by tne Waitarere Ratepayers' Association and, from the interest shown and comments made by the large crowd which witnessed tne demonstration. Waitarere should not be long without a patrol of its own. The urgent need for such a patrol at Waitarere was stressed by the Mayor of Levin, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, when speaking at the function. There had been many near escapes at Waitakere and for that reason every support should' be given an effort to pr event future accidents. The safety of our beaches was a public responsibility of great importance, he said. It was the duty of all to see that children and bathers generally were protected. By averting accidents the district's beaches could be kept safe and popular. Following a demonstration rescue with reel and line, the Foxton surf and life-saving team.gave a thrilling exhibition with surf skis. This club has used the surf ski as aj means of rescue with noted success. The use and sea worthiness of these small craf.t have to be seen for & f ull ■ appreciation of their possibilities in txre hands of trained men. They are now.part of the equipment of all life-saving clubs. • Public support for the formation of a patrol at Waitarere will shortly be solicited, as it- is only through the generosity of the public and local bodies that such a olub co.uld function. Members of s.urf life-saving' clubs receive no. monetary gain and sacrifice mttefe time and personal effort for the safety of beach visitors. Since its mauguration in 1931 the Foxton zlub has had 168 rescues to its zredit. - It is interided in the near future to convene a meeting in Levin to liscuss the possibility of starting a oatrol at Waitarere and public support is urgently desired. The zrganisers of Sunday 's displaxwish :o thank the manager and boys of ; ihe Levin Training Centre for their issistance, Mr. N. Thornley of the Levin Junior Chamber of Com-i merce, and Mr. W. Griffln/marshall :or the New Zealand Surf Associaiion for his commentary on the " A collection taken up after the iemonstration, to start the initi'al cund, amounted to £6 3s 6d. j