Lifeguards patrolling Sharps Beach, Ballina over the long weekend have suffered a setback after thousands of dollars of first aid equipment was stolen in the early hours of Friday morning.
Australian Lifeguard Service members reporting for duty on Friday noticed that their storage shed containing medical equipment had a broken window.
Further investigations found that the defibrillator, oxygen resuscitation kit, spinal gear, and first aid gear worth an estimated $10,000 were all stolen.
Far North Coast lifeguard supervisor Jarrad Cain said while it is too early to know the exact circumstances of the incident, it is believed that it occurred sometime early Friday morning.
‘It’s a frustrating situation to have happen right before the long weekend and if anybody does have any information we would encourage them to report it to the police,’ he said.
‘It’s a very thoughtless act as this gear plays an important role in the duties of lifeguards.’
‘We do have back-up supplies of older lifesaving equipment so the public’s safety wont’ be compromised,’ Mr Cain said.
