GWYNEDD beachgoers face another summer without RNLI lifeguards, despite figures released on 5 April showing they assisted 6,834 people on beaches across Wales last summer.

The lifesavers responded to 1,858 incidents across 34 of the country’s busiest beaches, but there are still no plans to introduce them in Gwynedd.

The RNLI told the Cambrian News they “are actively seeking to improve water safety around the Gwynedd coastline” and continue to discuss the matter with Gwynedd Council.

“We have not received a request from the local authority to consider RNLI lifeguards this year,” an RNLI spokesperson said.

RNLI lifeguards returned to some areas on Saturday, April, in time for the anticipated busy Easter holidays. Despite calls for them to be installed following several incidents in recent years, they will not be taking up positions anywhere in Gwynedd.

Gwynedd Council employs its own seasonal beach wardens to educate visitors of potential risks and danger spots on the coastline. They are not employed or promoted as lifeguards and focus on important elements of beach management.

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP, Liz Saville Roberts, said: “The untimely deaths of several people in the sea off the Dwyfor Meirionnydd coastline in recent years serve to remind us of how dangerous and unpredictable the sea can be.

“A number of our coastal resorts have beach wardens who do a commendable job, but their powers are limited.

“Although they will undoubtedly be alert to safety issues, they are not specifically trained in lifesaving duties, and it is not an essential skill in their job descriptions. Their role is limited to beach management, although many wardens do far more than this.

“Given the increasing number of visitors choosing to spend their holidays at our popular coastal towns and beaches, it would be wise to look again at how to take all reasonable, practicable steps to ensure safety in a risky environment, and employing dedicated lifeguards at certain beaches in Dwyfor Meirionnydd is one solution at certain locations.

“All options to improve safety on our coastline should be considered and a collaborative, multi-agency effort is needed to explore how this could be arranged.”

The death of a kayaker who got in trouble in the sea off Tywyn last May prompted renewed calls for safety improvements to be made along the coast. The kayaker, in his 30s and from the West Midlands, died after an incident on Sunday, 9 May 2021. He was thought then to be the fourth person in the last six years to die after getting into difficulty in the sea near Tywyn.

The Cambrian News reported concerns regarding a lack of RNLI lifeguard cover in August 2019.

Then Barmouth RNLI coxswain, Pete Davies, raised the issue when Joyce Watson, Mid and West Wales AM, and Graham Hogg, a Labour party candidate for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, visited the lifeboat station. They were given an insight into the work of the RNLI volunteers, but also heard how Gwynedd’s lack of lifeguards is a continuing cause of concern for the county. Mr Davies said then: “At the moment the council employs wardens but they’re not trained like the RNLI lifeguards are, and they don’t have the equipment they have.”

Almost three years later, the situation has not changed.

In August 2016 two teenagers on a day trip to Barmouth died when strong waves carried them away from the shore. Ms Watson said she was dismayed to learn that, despite correspondence and assurances she had at the time from Gwynedd Council, lifeguards had not been introduced on the beach.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson told the Cambrian News: “The beaches in Gwynedd are extremely popular with a variety of different users throughout the year. Gwynedd Council employ seasonal beach wardens who carry out a wide range of roles and duties to effectively manage and supervise the main beaches.

“Council officers are in regular contact with the RNLI to ensure effective communication and working arrangements.

“Whilst Gwynedd Council may not be in a position to introduce ‘lifeguards’ on beaches in the immediate future, we continue to work closely with the RNLI and other agencies to promote safety on our beaches and along the coastline.”