BUDE’S RNLI Lifeguards have been kept busy over the recent bank holiday weekend, writes Ella Henwood.

Over the past few weeks it has finally felt like summer — the sun is out and the sea temperatures are slowly, but surely, rising. Five of Bude’s beaches are now lifeguarded — Blackrock, Crooklets and Sandymouth join Widemouth and Summerleaze with a lifeguard service running seven days a week 10am to 6pm.

The sunshine over the bank holiday weekend has brought people down to the beaches in their thousands. The water has been busy keeping lifeguards on their toes but with mellow conditions everyone was kept safe. Throughout the weekend lifeguards across all of the beaches have had to deal with a lot of lost children. They are asking parents, carers, friends and guardians to keep a close eye on their children whilst at the beach, especially in the sea. If a child does get lost the best thing to do is to speak to the lifeguards, they can help reunite people.

Recently, two lifeguards traveled to the RNLI College in Poole where they were enrolled on a trainer assessor course. In the coming weeks they will be assessed on how they deliver an RWC (Rescue Water Craft) qualification before being signed off as competent. This will then allow them to train more of the guards to drive the RWC.

Whilst the sunshine is out (fingers crossed it stays) lifeguards are reminding everyone to ‘SLIP, SLAP, SLOP, GLUG’. Slip on a t-shirt, slap on a hat, slop on some suncream and glug on some water. Sun safety is highly important to everyone, when visiting the beach make sure you come prepared.