A DAY at the beach has become synonymous with easy, carefree fun. For many of us in the Hunter, it is hard to imagine a more simple pleasure than the symphony of sand and surf that so much of our coastline offers up.
Yet it is a reality that such pleasant settings are also home to tragedies more often that most of us would care to consider. Lifeguards, however, must deal with this truth head-on. As reported on Saturday, the region's beaches are in the grips of a surge in rescues and people requiring help. Statewide, drownings at beaches have set a shocking pace as the toll climbs.
