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Lifesaving History

Surf lifesaving originated in Australia in 1907 in response to drownings at local beaches in Sydney. There had been some debate between Manly Life Saving ClubBronte Surf Lifesaving Club and Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club as to which was formed first. Techniques first came over from Australia in 1952 with a man named Allan Kennedy who is credited at being the founding father of the movement in the United Kingdom. He trained 22 volunteers in Bude, Cornwall and so in 1953, the first British surf lifesaving club was founded. The National Museum of Australia exhibited and documented a timeline of Surf Life Saving from the very beginning and can be viewed here. The growing popularity of surfing and board riding through the 1960s and 70s inspired locals to form surf lifesaving clubs at many beaches in South West England and Wales.

Club History

Porthcawl Lifeguard Club was established a few years later in 1958 however there has been strong lifesaving links to the town, with its first lifeboat opening in 1860 to service the busy port at the time. There was also a volunteer Porthcawl Lifesaving Company who went to the aid of the wreck of the SS Samtampa in 1947.

It was set up to help prevent drowning during the busy summer holidays, especially during Miners Fortnight. The last week of July and the first week of August was traditionally the main holiday period for colliers across Wales and so a mass migration from the Valleys communities to either Barry Island or Porthcawl took place. Porthcawl became a mini Blackpool, where every seafront guesthouse and caravan space was booked. Also a day trip hotspot throughout the summer, the beaches saw an invasion of visitors with little or no swimming ability and so a higher number of people would get into difficulty in the water. One of our earlier members was recognised for his service in 2011, for almost 50 years of patrolling the coastline of Porthcawl. You can read what he has to say about lifesaving in the early days here.

“We didn’t have all the oxygen, defibrillators & radios back then. We just

had whistles   & it was a case of running, paddling & swimming bloody fast." 

Ken Evans was a former RNLI crewman, lifeguard, rugby player, landlord and town councillor. He became the town’s first paid lifeguard and with his brothers helped establish Porthcawl Lifeguard Club. He also saved and resuscitated a drowned swimmer in the summer of 1965 and was reunited with the patient 43 years later in 2008.

Another early piece of club history is the notable death of club member PC David Blackman, whilst off duty in 1967. His memory lives on in the David Blackman Memorial Cup, donated to the club in 2015 by South Wales Police and their lifesaving team. 

The club has seen a lot of development, as the same with lifesaving itself. Throughout the decades, the club has always found a home on Rhych Point, due to its ideal vantage point over the two beaches. Previous facilities on Rhych Point were damaged by storms in 1996 and destroyed by fire in October 2002. 

 

There is little more documented information available about the setting up of Porthcawl Lifeguard Club in its founding years, yet the gallery below contains insight into charting the history of the club. If you have any other old photos you would like added please post contact us. Through education and training of others in lifesaving techniques, will keep the history, community life-saving spirit alive.

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