Guardians of Arugam Bay beach | Sunday Observer

Guardians of Arugam Bay beach

9 April, 2017
 Life saving team
Life saving team

Over the past few years some coastal areas of the Eastern Province have come to be appreciated for their tourism potential. Among these pristine beaches Arugam Bay stands out for its clean shores and its formidable waves that entice daring surfers from many countries. Often, when people are having fun the tendency is to compromise safety. Arugam Bay is where members of the Special Task Force Life Saving Team come into action every single day. Since their deployment on the beach since 2009, they have saved 273 lives from drowning, including that of a senior German diplomat. The Life Saving team is made up of trained volunteers, and was envisaged by former DIG R.W. Ranawana, who had witnessed a drowning incident here and realized the need for a life saving unit.

Many are not aware of this great service rendered by the STF. I too didn’t know of this rescue unit until I was informed by the Commandant Senior DIG M. Lathiff. I set off on Sunday morning at 4 am accompanied by Gamini Pitagampala. After a few hours we reached the town of Monaragala. From here we drove to Uda Walawe, and crossed the wildlife park. I witnessed a few elephants grazing in solitude. After six hours on the road , travelling 300 kilometers, we reached the STF Camp at Arugam Bay and were greeted by Inspector Lal Jayathileke, the officer in charge. From here we left by Land Rover towards the beach. Since it was a Sunday the beach was crowded as we arrived around noon. It was nice to see all Sri Lankans having fun and enjoying the waves.


The team in action Pix : Gamini Pitagampala

I was introduced to the officer in charge of the Life Saving team, Inspector Mahadeva Jayewardene (MSc) and his deputy Sub Inspector, Pradeep Fernando. Incidentally, young Jayewardene is one of the pioneers of the team since it was established on 9 September 2009. He explains to me that the team of 15 men stationed at Arugam Bay begin their routine patrol, from 7 am until 6 pm when the sun sets over this paradise. The team starts by making sure that there are no hazards on the beach. Then, the team’s specialist diver Sub Inspector Gunawardene makes a few precision dives to observe the sea bed to make note of the changes, as sometimes craters are created overnight ( his advanced diving skills have also been used to recover a few unfortunate victims who have drowned in these beaches ) .

It is only after this that the team places the red and yellow flags demarcating the “safe area” for those who enter the sea. According to the crowd turnout, the men are paired and positioned along the beach and remain vigilant. There are days when around 5,000 people gather at this glorious beach!

The team has built an observation tower from where two officers scan the sea with binoculars. IP Jayewardene recalls incidents where foreigners engaged in kite surfing fall into the sea when the wind drops.

Unable to move the heavy kite and also yielding to panic, they begin to drown. The team responds rapidly by boat and has saved many such foreign nationals.

IP Jayathileke also points out that another reason for people to drown is their own negligence as they enter the ocean after consuming alcohol. Such folk, especially youth don’t pay attention to the red warning flags that are put up when the sea is rough.

There are incidents when such people have been rescued and given CPR on the sea shore. Often, drowning depends on the buoyancy of each person. At times, those requiring urgent medical attention have been rushed by Land Rover to the nearby hospital. I am then made aware that Sub Inspector Pradeep Fernando is an award winning swimmer and life saver.

He was a member of the Sri Lankan team that won Bronze at the World Championship held in France in 2014. He is also the only Police officer to win a Gold Medal at the South Asian Beach Games in 2011, held in Hambantota.

Apart from their life guard duties the team engages in a weekly clean up of the beach and maintains a clean environment for all.

In addition, they are also sent on duty to Anuradhapura during the Poson Poya period when hundreds bathe in the river. They also stand watch near the Kumbukkan Oya, when pilgrims from Jaffna make their annual river crossing as they head to Kataragama.

The Life Saving Unit of the STF renders a silent service at Arugam Bay. It would be good if the authorities bestowed them with advanced life saving equipment to augment this highly skilled outfit.

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