Torrox is stepping up beach safety with drills and health checks

The town hall organised these practical exercises ahead of the peak season to test the operation’s response capacity, coordination between personnel and the use of the technological resources incorporated into the service.

The operation, awarded to Provita Málaga, has been in service since 13 June and will continue until 13 September, running continuously from 11.30am to 8.30pm.

The first of the exercises took place on El Morche beach and served to test the effectiveness of the mobile patrol and the water rescue dog unit. During the drill, a dog handler detected a swimmer suffering from a severe muscle strain who was calling for help in the water, prompting the immediate activation of the response protocol.

The rescue dog jumped into the sea and reached the swimmer in distress. According to Provita officials, the dog’s approach helped to calm and stabilise the swimmer and was able to get out of the water unaided, without any major complications. This canine service, which already attracted the interest of the international media last summer, acts as a support to lifeguards, not as a replacement.

The second drill took place on Ferrara beach, next to the breakwater, where a emergency scenario was staged involving an exhausted swimmer struggling to return to shore. After being spotted from the lifeguard tower, the central control centre was alerted and a multidisciplinary operation was launched by air and land.

In this instance, the rescue drone flew to the scene of the incident in a matter of seconds and dropped a flotation device onto the swimmer. Upon contact with the water, the device inflated automatically, enabling the swimmer to stay afloat safely until the lifeguards arrived.

At the same time, the lifeguard from the tower and a member of the mobile patrol jumped into the sea to rescue the swimmer. Back on the beach, a logistics support vehicle carrying the service coordinator and nursing staff was waiting to provide the necessary medical assistance.

The third exercise, carried out on El Peñoncillo beach, was the most complex. The drill simulated the rescue of a victim in a critical condition: an unconscious swimmer who was struggling to stay afloat. The base urgently deployed the rapid-response vessel – a jet ski with a skipper and a rescuer – as well as medical support from the area.

The jet ski reached the scene of the emergency rapidly and enabled the swimmer to be rescued using a rescue board. Once on the shore, the team began administering basic life support and, working alongside medical staff, used a semi-automatic external defibrillator (SED) to successfully stabilise the simulated casualty.

The Torrox beach safety team comprises more than thirty professionals, off-road vehicles, jet skis, aerial surveillance and medical staff. The town hall's is to establish Torrox as a safe, accessible destination that is well-prepared for high visitor numbers.

The town hall has also launched a health monitoring and surveillance programme along the entire coastline. The plan includes monthly tests in shower areas, facilities and public spaces, with the aim of ensuring hygienic conditions during the peak season.

The checks focus on three areas: testing for Legionella in the showers, assessing the hygiene and sanitary quality of the sand and carrying out microbiological analyses on the shower floor surfaces to prevent the growth of fungi. According to the town hall this programme “is not intended to replace, but rather to reinforce and complement, on a scientific basis” the daily cleaning, disinfection and maintenance work carried out along Torrox’s coastline.