Monthly Beach Report May 2016

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Vero Beach Lifeguard Association Monthly Beach Report Jaycee Park, Humiston Park, South Beach Park May 2016

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Our Mission

To promote water safety in Vero Beach and the surrounding communities.

Statistics

  • Total Park Attendance 58,231
  • Preventative Actions 916
  • Minor Medicals 21
  • Major Medicals 4
  • Rescues 6
  • Average Water Temperature 80
  • Beach Erosion Minimal
  • Stinging Marine Life Moderate

General Conditions

Ocean temperatures have risen into the low 80’s. Many
more turtle nests have been detected and marked. Rip
currents continue to be an issue at our beaches. Lifeguards
rescued 6 swimmers from rip currents in May bringing the
total number of water rescues for 2016 to 18. Most minor
medical calls have been for jellyfish stings and abrasions.
Most major medical calls have been for broken bones and
heat related injuries. Baitfish and the larger fish which feed
upon them were a common sight. All swimmers are advised
to pay close attention to beach condition flags, swim near
lifeguard towers and avoid swimming during non-guarded

Areas of Concern

As budget talks for the City of Vero Beach begin for fiscal
year 2016-17, the VBLA recommends that funding for safer
beaches include an ATV and shed at each guarded beach
which will allow for faster response times by lifeguards
during emergencies. Secondly, the City should extend
guarded beach hours from March to September two more
hours to 7pm to keep up with the rising popularity of Vero’s
beaches. Many individuals and families are on the beach far
from a guarded area and/or in the water after lifeguards
leave at 5pm. Providing this additional equipment and
extending hours will help address the safety issues that have
resulted in two preventable deaths at our beaches in 2015.

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. Vero ranks
#2 among south Florida municipalities with the least amount
of guarded beach area but ranked 3rd in the most patrons per
tower than any other town behind Miami Beach and
Hollywood Beach. The amount of trash left on the beach and
overflowing trash cans plagued the beaches this month. We
recommend that garbage be collected more often during the
week. 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.

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
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.

Stacy Cook
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