Monthly Beach Report April 2016

STATISTICS
Total Park Attendance	65635
Preventative Actions	1162
Minor Medicals	25
Major Medicals	0
Rescues	4
Average Water Temperature	76
Beach Erosion	Minimal
Stinging Marine Life	Moderate

General Conditions

Attendance at our three guarded beaches remains strong.  Ocean temperatures are slowly creeping up into the upper 70’s.  Turtle nesting has been disappointing as fewer nests have been detected compared to the last few years.  The City discontinued beach grooming as of March 1^st because of the start of turtle nesting season.   Rip currents continue to be the reason for water rescues.  Lifeguards rescued 4 swimmers from rip currents in April bringing the total number of water rescues for 2016 to 12.  Most minor medical calls have been for jellyfish stings and abrasions. All swimmers are advised to pay close attention to beach condition flags, swim near lifeguard towers and avoid swimming during non-guarded beach hours.

Areas of Concern

Trash receptacle pick up at the entrances to our guarded beaches has fallen behind in recent weeks with receptacles overflowing with garbage and patrons not cleaning up after themselves.  Efforts are being made by private organizations to clean up after our visitors but more needs to be done.  There are plenty of receptacles in and around the park to accommodate the crowds, however, VBLA recommends that there is daily trash receptacle pick up.  Vero Beach ranked #1 in 2015 along with Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Palm Beach County with the greatest number of water related deaths on the beach outside guarded areas and hours of operation (2 deaths). VBLA recommends that lifeguards be equipped with 2 more ATVs so they can respond more quickly to emergencies outside the guarded areas and that guarded hours be extended from 5pm to 7pm.  Many individuals and families are on the beach far from a guarded area and/or in the water after lifeguards leave at 5pm.

Key

Park Attendance:  includes areas immediately north and south of each park.

Preventative Actions:  stopping potential incidents before they occur.

Minor Medicals:  a medical incident which is treated on-site by lifeguard/EMT                       personnel.

Major Medicals:  a medical incident that required Emergency Medical Services.

About VBLA

This report is furnished by the Vero Beach Lifeguard Association, a non-profit, 501C3 organization.  Its mission is to promote water safety and lifeguarding in Vero Beach and the surrounding communities.  Contact us at VeroBeachLA@Yahoo.com or (908)797-8725.  Visit us at www.VBLA.org.  Donations are appreciated.  Monies raised are used to purchase equipment, supplies, staffing and training for the lifeguards from the city of Vero Beach.  Please send donations to:  VBLA, 1351 White Heron Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963.