Anglesea SLSC re-open patrol observation tower

ANGLESEA SLSC has reopened its patrol observation tower to help keep swimmers safe as crowds continue to descend on the town’s beaches.

Anglesea SLSC management decided last weekend to reopen the tower which has been closed for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anglesea SLSC club president David Marsh said the tower would provide lifesavers with another vantage point to keep the beach safe, particularly during busy periods.

 

 

“It’s fantastic for us, it’s so important for the infrastructure of the surf club and it provides that observation and view like no other.

“You can see quite clearly from Point Roadknight all the way to Point Addis and everything in between.

“We won’t use it every patrol and will reserve it mostly for those real busy days, but it’s that eye in the sky so to speak.

“This summer, we will send a couple up there and then everyone else is on the beach patrolling and roving around.

“During the development of the club, we shut it for a few years and used an observation room, but realised in the end that the two complemented each other really well.”

 

He said that the Californian-style lifesaving patrol tower officially celebrated its 43rd birthday last week and was “considered an integral part of the surf club’s history and it’s certainly an iconic landmark”.

 

“The tower increases our reach and ability to provide a safe aquatic environment for Anglesea locals and tourists.

“We thought it was time to use it again and it’s worked really well already, we were able to help spot a shark recently.

“We’ve had great feedback from our patrollers about the vantage point; it’s fantastic.”

The patrol tower will continue to be operational throughout the remainder of summer by patrolling lifesavers.