Almost 20,000 (19,896) actions were recorded by lifeguards at Kerry beaches across the summer months.
That’s according to Kerry County Council figures released in its recent planning, environment, and emergency management report.
It shows lifeguards at Kerry’s 15 blue flag beaches were involved in a number of measures during bathing season, including rescues, accident prevention incidents and administration of first aid.
The report shows that lifeguards on Kerry beaches were involved in two rescues during June; none were recorded in July, while ten rescues took place in August.
Rescues crafts were deployed on beaches in the county 45 times this summer; ten times in June, on eleven occasions in July; and 24 deployments were recorded in August.
First aid was administered over 700 times by Kerry lifeguards this summer.
August saw the highest number recorded at 315, while first aid was administered 227 times in July and on 167 occasions June.
Water safety advice was given to beach goers more than 4,500 (4,523) times in August; almost 3,700 (3,688) times in June, and on over 3,000 (3,072) occasions in July.
The statistics show more than 2,200 accidents were prevented by lifeguards on Kerry beaches - 613 in June, 620 in July and 997 in August.
Meanwhile, lifeguards attended to over 2,500 (2,507) incidents marked "other" in June, more than 1,300 such incidents (1,352) in July; and on 1,718 occasions in August.
This includes general advice that is not water safety based, such as local information and directions.
