Visitors will be able to safely enjoy trips to beaches in Bridgend this summer after lifeguards and Coastwatch volunteers returned this week.
Patrols by lifeguards from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) resumed at Rest Bay on Monday June 22 and volunteers from the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI), based at Porthcawl Harbour, are also keeping locals safe.
Cllr Huw David, leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, said the council and the RNLI have remained "in close contact" throughout lockdown to ensure the Porthcawl coastline remains safe for the rest of the summer.
"I am pleased to confirm that this approach and commitment towards partnership working has delivered another positive outcome for the area", he said.
"Seeing RNLI lifeguards at the beach is always a reassuring sight, and I am sure that people will welcome and appreciate these efforts to help keep them safe while visiting Porthcawl’s beaches.”
RNLI lifeguards will return to Coney Beach and Sandy Bay on July 4 with cover being made available at Trecco Bay on the same day subject to guidance from the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales.
NCI volunteers, who monitor all vessel movements in the Bristol Channel, will be working alongside the council and RNLI to keep the beaches safe.
The council said it has put "state-of-the-art" cameras in place to help the NCI locate anyone in distress at sea so that incidents can be reported quickly to the coastguard and emergency services.
It also said it will "provide further beach patrol duties and put additional measures in place."
Patrols by the RNLI are funded by Bridgend County Borough Council, Porthcawl Town Council and Parkdean Resorts with additional costs covered by the RNLI via fundraising.
There are more than 238 lifeboat stations operated by the RNLI across the UK and Ireland and its staff have saved over 142,700 lives since it began in 1824.
An NCI spokesperson said: "Visitors to the coastline during this time need to be taking heightened self responsibility, know your limitations , check the weather, the tides and keep an eye on the children.
"In any emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard."
