The lifeguards, who are working extended hours at our city’s public beaches—which have been awarded Blue Flags—saved two lives on Tuesday, July 14!
The good news was announced by Glyfada Mayor George Papanikolaou, who wrote:
“Some very good news: Two lives were saved today in our Glyfada, thanks to comprehensive lifeguard coverage and the immediate response of our lifeguards!
The first incident occurred this morning, around 12:00, at Glyfada’s First Beach.
A woman about 65 years old began calling for help from a distance of 50–60 meters from the shore.
The lifeguard on the tower rushed over immediately with his board, having taken the precaution of radioing the inflatable rescue boat before he even dove into the water. Everyone acted in a coordinated manner and at exactly the right time. They pulled the woman onto the boat, administered first aid by providing her with oxygen, and handed her over to the National Ambulance Service (EKAV)—mainly as a precaution—in good condition.
A short time later, around 2:00 p.m., at the 4th Beach, a fellow citizen with a disability encountered a problem while swimming. He was immediately spotted by the lifeguard and the municipal employee who is permanently stationed at Seatrac. Two lifeguards rushed to the scene and, with the help of the inflatable boat, safely brought him out of the water.
Swimming is a pleasure that everyone, without exception, should enjoy.
For this very reason, the municipal beaches in Glyfada remain free and open to the public. However, this also requires the utmost care.
We have ensured that lifeguards are stationed everywhere, with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (while the law requires coverage from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.), and they have boats and all the latest equipment at their disposal at all times.
Because we make absolutely no compromises when it comes to safety and the protection of human life, we have chosen to allocate significantly more funds than those provided by the state budget (to be precise, we pay about four times as much for lifeguard coverage).
Our goal is to ensure this top-quality service, not only during the height of summer, but through the end of September.
A big round of applause to our team for their readiness.
“Happy and safe swimming to everyone!”
