Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Beach Patrol is gearing up for the summer season – and encouraging visitors to the Essex Sunshine Coast to Respect the Water.

People are being reminded to obey basic safety rules when visiting the coastline: following advice from warning flags; not swimming near, around or under structures such as piers, groynes and breakwaters; knowing their depth, being wary of sudden drops in the sea floor, and being aware of tides and currents; and not swimming while drunk.

Mick Barry, TDC Cabinet Member for Leisure and Public Realm, stressed the importance of people taking care and respecting the water even with Beach Patrol in place.

“Our Beach Patrol teams do amazing work every year, giving advice and guidance, first aid, and also helping to rescue those who get into difficulty,” Councillor Barry said.

“Keep an eye out on the jobs page on the TDC website as vacancies sometimes come up to work in this fascinating team; if you’re interested check out the roles.

“The Essex Sunshine Coast is a beautiful place, but like every coastline can be risky if not treated with respect, so please be careful. Beach Patrol is not an emergency service and if you see someone in difficulty please dial 999 and ask for Coastguard.”

This year will see a changed approach to Beach Patrol coverage along the beaches between Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze; patrols along Princes Esplanade in Walton; and a presence to the East side of Clacton Pier.

These are part of the existing coverage provided in Brightlingsea, Dovercourt Bay, Frinton, Walton and Clacton by the service.

The changes are among the recommendations made following a review of the service by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), and TDC is putting in place some of the short-term measures while it considers the wider feedback.

Due to the Easter holidays being early this year, Beach Patrol will not begin operations until the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend, which is also the start of school’s summer half-term break.

This allows the team more time for training and preparations for what is hoped will be a busy summer along the Essex Sunshine Coast.