THE Terengganu Civil Defence Force will have more lifeguard teams stationed at beaches to monitor the safety of visitors, director Che Adam A. Rahman said.

According to Che Adam, currently, lifeguards were only stationed at four locations – Pantai Bukit Kluang, Besut; Taman Laut Pulau Redang; Pantai Batu Buruk in Kuala Terengganu and Pantai Kekabu, Marang – with the next one at Pantai Pulau Kekabu, also in Marang.

Che Adam was responding to a suggestion by the director of the Institute of Oceanography and Environment (INOS), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), associate professor Dr Mohd Fadzil Mohd Akhir for more coastal lifeguards to be placed to prevent drownings off state coastlines.

The latest incident was reported last Friday, involving four students from Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Polytechnic in Dungun, who were feared to have drowned at Pantai Teluk Bidara, Dungun, and a week earlier, two Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) students in Chendering drowned in Pantai Pandak.

On both occasions, there were no lifeguards present, while Che Adam said they would not be on duty during the northeast monsoon season, from October to March, because the beaches are off-limits to the public

“Lifeguards only monitor periodically during the monsoon period,” he said, adding that more lifeguards would incur cost.

Meanwhile, Dr Mohd Fadzil said if the sea is calm, it does not mean that it is safe for swimming as there are other factors, including rip tides, that makes it dangerous.

He said a study conducted by UMT found that rip tides are common between Pantai Pandak in Chendering, as well as Teluk Bidara and Teluk Lipat in Dungun.

Besides the rip tide, other factors that pose danger to visitors are the steep beach slope, he added.

Terengganu has the longest stretch of beaches in the country, 244km in total. – Bernama, January 19, 2020.