Summer lifeguard service starts on Vélez-Málaga beaches

Vélez-Málaga started its summer lifeguard service on Thursday 1 June along its 22 kilometres of coastline. Twenty-six lifeguards have been contracted this year and the service will run every day from 10am to 8pm. There are 19 lifeguard points in total.

From 1 July, the service will be extended to 32 staff from Monday to Friday and a total of 42 at weekends. During July, August and September the timetable will be 10.30am to 8.00pm every day and the service will end on 30 September.

In addition to the existing posts, the acting councillor for beaches, Jesús Pérez Atencia, explained that new, permanent ones have been installed in the Benajarafe area, near the Punta Arena beach bar or on the Hornillo beach and on Las Palmeras beach in Caleta de Vélez.

In terms of equipment, Pérez Atencia pointed out that the service has been equipped with "better mobile devices". He went on to say, "We now have two four by four vehicles equipped with defibrillators and oxygen therapy equipment. We also have two semi-rigid boats for rapid action, which are more versatile and two more powerful jet skis that improve response times."

In terms of accessibility, Pérez Atencia pointed out that there is a “comprehensive swimming assistance service from 1 June to 30 September”, adding that each post has a sign language member of staff. Vélez-Málaga has six adapted beaches this summer: Benajarafe (at the old station), Valle-Niza (in the Marqués castle), Torre del Mar (Laguna Chica, at the lighthouse (Faro) and in the town centre area of the beach.