During the Easter weekend, approximately 40 members of the Congo community and its surrounding area gathered on Congo Beach to help raise community awareness of the dangers of unpatrolled Congo Beach and discuss ways to improve beach safety.

The meeting comes after a second fatal drowning at the popular surf beach over the summer of 2023.

At the meeting, organised by the Congo Community Association (CCA), residents heard about the Emergency Response Beacon (ERB) project being rolled out in the region by Surf Life Saving NSW on behalf of the State Government. They also had a chance to have their questions answered by a member of the local surf club and learn about the ERB project.

These ERBs, hailed as cutting-edge lifesaving tools, are earmarked for deployment in ‘black spot’ areas statewide. They harness the latest in mobile technology, bridging the gap between beachgoers and the Surf Life Saving NSW State Operations Centre (SOC) in times of emergency.

The meeting garnered strong community support for including Congo as one of three sites in Eurobodalla to be part of the trial.

“The community of Congo has witnessed two recent tragic deaths. These events are an immense trauma for the victim’s family and friends. However, when these events occur, there is often a less visible and lasting impact on the community and our first responders. It was great to see so many people here today to raise community awareness about the issue and

to show their support for the ERB initiative,” said Belinda Bain, President of the CCA.

The meeting also allowed the community to brainstorm potential community-led solutions to improve safety. These include initiatives to warn visitors of the dangers, raise money to purchase a defibrillator to add to the ERB, and create a ‘flotation device library’ based on a similar initiative on Lord Howe Island.

The CCA will continue collaborating with the Moruya Surf Life Saving Club to improve safety at Congo Beach and make the ideas discussed at the meeting a reality.