Douglas Council has agreed for the RNLI to carry out a Beach Safety Assessment for Douglas beach after an incident this summer.
The RNLI will also carry out a review of signage and public rescue equipment after a committee suggested the beach may need lifeguards.
The council’s regeneration and community committee said this followed an incident in the summer where a child got into difficulty swimming to its raft in Douglas bay.
It said: “The Assistant Chief Officer (Regeneration) advised that during the summer there was a report on an incident on the beach in relation to a child who had swum out to the floating raft from the shore.
“The child had become distressed and was unable to return without assistance. The incident was resolved by nearby individuals.
“The incident highlights the need for enhancing safety measures, supervision and awareness to prevent similar occurrences in the future.”
Safety
Since then, talks have been held with the RNLI about safety at both Douglas Bay and Port Skillion.
The committee’s minutes states this included “the prospect of providing lifeguards on Douglas Bay as part of investigating the possibility of obtaining blue flag status”.
The RNLI recommended that the Beach Safety Assessment (BSA) and a review of signage and public rescue equipment should take place before further decisions are made, with the committee saying it intends to pay for this and for other works for the beach through existing budgets.
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