Beach Rescue Club is handed keys to new hut

Mary Youlden
Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted Monday, July 1, 2013 - 9:23pm

Exmouth Beach Rescue Club were officially handed the keys to their new lifeguard hut at Orcombe Point at the weekend.

On Sunday Councillor Tom Wright, EDDC’s Deputy Portfolio Holder for the Environment, handed over one of the former Council Lifeguard huts for the club to use during the summer season at Orcombe Point. The club has had to put quite a bit of work into making the hut usable again as it has been standing idle for several years.

Despite the work required to get it up to scratch, the Beach Rescue Club will find that the hut fulfils a very important role for them. Not only is it a outpost for their Lifeguard Patrol but it will act as a place for small kit storage during the day to save carrying equipment to and from the main club base. It will also give the Lifeguards some shelter from the sun and – on rare occasions of course – the rain!

Councillor Wright said: “I am proud that we can help a valuable volunteer public service provide safety cover along the Eastern end of Exmouth Seafront. The seafront is always a popular place but over the years has become busier with all forms of beach and water-based activity. We are pleased that by assisting the Lifeguard group we can enhance visitors’ experience when they come to Exmouth.

Nigel Snowshall, a founder member of the Beach Rescue Club, commented: “We have seen an increase in public use of the Orcombe Point end of the beach and have adjusted our service to help provide safety cover in that area.

"This hut will mean that we can run the Lifeguard service far more efficiently and reduce the time it might have taken for us to get lifesaving equipment on scene. We have already carried out one important rescue from this station, when we assisted two men from Exeter who had got into difficullty and were in real danger of drowning.”

• The hut was owned by EDDC and was formerly used by the Council-run Lifeguard service. Since the RNLI took over the full-time seasonal Lifeguard service the hut has stood idle. Ongoing meetings with the Beach Safety Officer at EDDC have led to an increased area of coverage for the club at Exmouth and to assist with this the Council offered the redundant hut.

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