Estepona activates surveillance service with 45 lifeguards

The Estepona City Council has activated the surveillance and rescue services on the beaches, which this year will include 45 staff members, and has also enhanced the coastal maintenance service with new machinery, as reported this Monday by the councilor in charge, Susana Aragón.

The councilor detailed that the operation has been activated on the beaches of La Rada, El Cristo, El Padrón, El Saladillo, and Arroyo Vaquero, as they are the most frequented within the municipal area. She highlighted that this year's bathing season comes with new features, as the surveillance staff will debut new towers that have been installed along the coastline.

She specified that the operation includes a total of 45 lifeguards, an ambulance with a technician and a nurse, and a rescue boat with a skipper and an aquatic lifeguard. The surveillance service will be provided continuously until September 15, for 8 hours a day, from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Sunday.

Aragón pointed out that this summer, lifeguards have new watchtowers replacing the existing chairs, with a total of 17 new structures installed at La Rada, El Cristo, El Padrón, El Saladillo, and Arroyo Vaquero, from Calle México to Arroyo Enmedio.

The beach lifeguard operation covers the surveillance of the swimming zones, to address any incidents that occur, search, rescue, evacuation of victims from aquatic environments, as well as to inform the public about potential risks associated with swimming, advise on respective precautions, and inform about prohibitions contained in the Estepona Beach Use and Enjoyment Ordinance.

To enhance coastal security, the councilor indicated that the City Council develops a risk assessment plan for each beach and the corresponding operational plan throughout the bathing season, in collaboration with competent public order services.

New Machinery

Additionally, Aragón highlighted that the Council has added new beach machinery to keep the coastline in optimal condition during the summer season, and that it will enhance the cleaning and maintenance service of Estepona's 22 kilometers of coast.

Thus, the councilor detailed that 3 tractors, 2 buggies, a crane truck, a leveling harrow, a medium screening beach cleaner, a multilink trailer, 2 cane collectors, 1 generator, 3 blowers, 3 pressure washers, and 5 brush cutters have been incorporated into the service.

Aragón insisted that maintaining the beaches is one of the government team's priorities, a task that is intensified during the summer months but is carried out throughout the year.

Adapted Showers

Furthermore, the councilor recalled that the City Council provides adapted restroom facilities for people with reduced mobility, so the sanitary modules range from crutches to amphibious chairs to facilitate bathing.

Moreover, she noted that this year new showers have been installed at various beaches in the municipality to facilitate bathing for people with reduced mobility. These are adapted models that, while designed for general use, feature a unique wing-shaped design that allows comfortable showering for users in wheelchairs or amphibious chairs.

These showers have been placed on beaches where the City Council offers assisted bathing services each year, namely at Cristo Beach and La Rada Beach, near the Monterroso River. "These showers will facilitate the bathing of these individuals, who can access them directly with their wheelchairs or amphibious chairs, making it much more comfortable and safe," states Susana Aragón, the Beaches Councilor.