Israeli Lifeguards Reveal Crucial Safety Rules to Prevent Drownings at Beaches

In the third episode of the national initiative "Project 0," journalist Moshe Mens visited Israeli beaches to meet veteran lifeguards and sea safety experts from the "Marine Rescue" association and surfing instructors. These professionals, who monitor the shore from dawn to dusk, shared essential safety protocols and common swimmer mistakes to help beachgoers enjoy the sea while staying safe.

Lifeguards conduct detailed early morning inspections of the beach, mapping dangerous spots like sudden sand holes and rip currents, then mark safe swimming zones with buoys and flags. They continuously assess wind, wave height, and sea conditions to determine which safety flag to display: white for calm and safe, red for rough seas allowing only shallow swimming, and black for dangerous conditions prohibiting any swimming.

Legendary lifeguard Mushon Berkovich, with 46 years of experience, emphasized the importance of swimming only near lifeguard stations and obeying flag warnings. He warned that self-confidence in swimming skills is insufficient and that many drownings occur among populations unfamiliar with the sea, such as ultra-Orthodox and Arab communities. He advised avoiding the water after 7:15 p.m. when lifeguards finish their shifts.

Alex, a Marine Rescue expert, highlighted the danger of the "quiet corner" illusion, where calm-looking water near the shore is actually a deep channel with strong rip currents pulling swimmers out to sea. He advised swimmers caught in a rip current to stay calm, float on their backs, raise one hand to signal distress, and swim parallel to the shore once the current weakens.

Oren Maimon, a surfing club manager at Gordon Beach, recommended swimming only at lifeguard-protected beaches and urged full compliance with safety rules, especially among visitors during holiday periods. The episode concluded with a summary of golden rules: swim only at designated beaches with active lifeguards, heed flag warnings, avoid swimming after lifeguards leave, stay away from calm-looking rip current zones, and know how to signal for help.

The next episode will focus on emergency medical response on the beach, including resuscitation techniques demonstrated by Magen David Adom teams, aiming to dispel dangerous myths and teach life-saving skills such as chest compressions and defibrillator use.