The document discusses the beach patrol history and safety issues at South Padre Island beaches. It outlines that drowning is the highest cause of unintentional fatalities and most occur in open water. While thousands visit the beaches, the areas without lifeguard protection have seen multiple drownings in the last five years. The beach patrol proposes adding more lifeguards, lifeguard stands, patrol vehicles, and rescue equipment to improve response capabilities and mitigate the drowning risk.

1. SOUTH PADRE ISLANDSOUTH PADRE ISLAND
BEACH PATROLBEACH PATROL

2. SOUTH PADRE ISLANDSOUTH PADRE ISLAND
SURF RESCUESURF RESCUE

3. SPI Beach Patrol HistorySPI Beach Patrol History
Established in
2008
Began with a
“roving beach
patrol”

4. Thousands of visitors come to theThousands of visitors come to the
island to enjoy the quality of theisland to enjoy the quality of the
beachesbeaches

5. With the enjoyment of theWith the enjoyment of the
beaches comes riskbeaches comes risk
 There have been multiple drownings on the
beaches of South Padre Island over the last five
years. All but one has been on the unprotected
beaches outside the city limits of SPI.

6. Unintentional Fatalities 2005 (% of sub-categories):Unintentional Fatalities 2005 (% of sub-categories):
Drowning deaths represent the highest percentage of allDrowning deaths represent the highest percentage of all
unintentional fatalities.unintentional fatalities.
Drowning
45%
Motor Vehicle
19%
Personal Watercraft
2%
Vessel
8% Other
8%
Aircraft
9%
Fall
9%
Aircraft
Drowning
Fall
Motor Vehicle
Personal Watercraft
Vessel
Other

7. What’s the Risk?What’s the Risk?
The United States Lifesaving Association
estimates that approximately 60% - 80%
of beaches in the U.S. are unguarded.
The USLA has estimated that the
chances of drowning at a beach that is
protected by lifeguards to be less than
one in 18 million.

8. National Center for HealthNational Center for Health
Statistics & C.D.C. (’00-’01)Statistics & C.D.C. (’00-’01)
About 4,000 people die from
drowning in the United States each
year.
Males account for over 75% of all
drownings each year.

9. National Center for HealthNational Center for Health
Statistics & C.D.C. (’00 – ’01)Statistics & C.D.C. (’00 – ’01)
Approximately 50% - 75% of all
drownings occur in open water.
Alcohol use is involved in about 25% to
50% of adolescent and adult deaths
associated with water recreation.

10. Current safety issuesCurrent safety issues
Larger, more concentrated crowds Resulting
in resources being utilized in those areas
leaving other areas of the beach unprotected

12. Additional responsibilitiesAdditional responsibilities
Lost children
Minor First Aid Care

14. Proposed Improvements toProposed Improvements to
response capabilitiesresponse capabilities

15. Mitigating the Drowning RiskMitigating the Drowning Risk
Through Staffing & Equipment:
 Add more Lifeguards to the Program
 Increase Lifeguard stand/tower coverage
 Continue vehicle beach Patrols
 Deploy the Rescue Boat and/or Personal
Watercraft as soon as the possibility of need
exists

16. Additional lifeguardsAdditional lifeguards

17. Seven new lifeguard standsSeven new lifeguard stands

18. Stands to be placed at pointsStands to be placed at points
of most visitor concentrationof most visitor concentration

19. Maintain two beach patrolMaintain two beach patrol
vehicles staffed by two personnelvehicles staffed by two personnel

20. Additional rescue equipmentAdditional rescue equipment

21. Maintain all additional resourcesMaintain all additional resources
Rescue Watercraft and Zodiac beach boat

23. Current rescue staffingCurrent rescue staffing
March to end of May:
2 guards weekdays – 4 guards weekends
Spring Break: 17 weekdays – 10 weekends
June to Labor Day:
4 weekdays – 6 weekends

24. Proposed StaffingProposed Staffing
March 1 to Memorial Day:
4 weekdays to increase based on number of
visitors.
8 weekends
Memorial Day to Labor day:
7 during week – 12 on weekends

25. Staffing IncreaseStaffing Increase
March to Memorial Day – Increase of 6 per
week
Memorial Day to Labor Day – Increase of 9
per week