Purpose
To ensure lifesaving personnel follow the correct procedures when a missing person is reported. This guideline provides principles on which to base a response.
Policy
Lifesaving Personnel are required to follow the guidelines provided when a lost/missing person is reported.
Procedure
The Patrol Captain/Lifeguard Supervisor is to notify the State Operations Centre as soon as a situation has been identified.
Definitions
Lost Person: where a family member, friend or guardian approaches the lifesaving personnel and reports a person missing.
Found Person: where the lifesaving personnel either:
- Is approached by a member of public who has lost their group;
- Comes across someone who appears distressed and lost, or;
- When a member of the public finds the child/person and hands them over to lifesaving personnel.
Prioritising Information Gathering
Lifesaving personnel should prioritise information gathering before declaring the type of response and then follow a series of escalating procedures to handle lost and found persons.
| Serial | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Information Gathering | 0-2 minutes |
| 2 | Type of Search Declared | In-water or Land-based |
| 3 | Assistance Requested/Incident Reported | via SurfCom |
| 4 | Initial Search Conducted | with On-site Assets |
| 5 | Person Not Located/Advise Police | via SurfCom |
| 6 | Coordinated Search – under external agency | with other Emergency Services |
Information Gathering
In all search incidents it is imperative that the following information is collected and recorded on paper. Informants must be retained with the lifesaving service for the duration of the search.
- Name
- Age
- Sex
- Clothing
- General Description (size/weight/appearance)
- Last known location
- Activity (swimming/surfing etc.)
- Floatation devices?
- Likelihood of being in the water
- Swimming ability
- Missing persons site on the beach (where their clothes/possessions are)
Declaring an in-water search
Incidents where persons are missing in the surf or believed to be missing in the surf require an immediate, coordinated, and methodical response by lifesaving personnel.
An in-water search should be declared by the Patrol Captain/Senior Lifeguard under the following circumstances:
- Lifesaving personnel witnessed submersion – while under surveillance or in the process of rescuing.
- Public communicated missing person – last seen in water.
- Public communicated missing person – believed to be in the water.
- Public communicated missing infant/child (<8) – last seen near the water.
- Personnel missing (dangerous conditions) – last seen in water.
In-water search response
- Details collected.
- Informant retained.
- Patrol Captain/Lifeguard Supervisor notified.
- Lifesaving personnel dispatched.
- Radio communications.
- Observers from tower with binoculars (or elevated position).
- Shoreline search (foot and/or SSV/4WD).
- Water based search with powercraft.
- In water swimmer positioned at last known location.
- SurfCom informed.
- Emergency service support requested.
- Additional lifesaving services/support operations requested (if required).
In-water Search Considerations
- Consider current/drift direction (Consider use of ‘dye’).
- Marking of last known position of the victim on land and/or in the water
- Activate on-scene resources ASAP and initiate support from other services ASAP.
- Remember to maintain management of flagged area or close flagged area if it cannot be adequately maintained.
- Send lifesaving personnel to where the missing persons towel etc. are positioned on the beach and/or to their car (land-based search).
- Ensure all responding units have radio communications (excluding swimmers/boards).
- Reassure parents or carer and where possible obtain addition details such as other possible search areas (i.e. location of car, residence, etc.).