Our People - Lifeguard Pat Falzon

Published Date
11/03/2016
News Topic
Beaches & Lifeguards, Council

We want you to get to know our team at Randwick City Council. For this edition of SCENE we spoke to Patrick Falzon – one of our down to earth lifeguards at Maroubra Beach.

Armed with only his eyes, a radio and surfboard, local Randwick City Lifeguard Patrick Falzon is the reason so many of us can enjoy a safe day out in the sun, sand and surf. 

Patrolling Randwick’s iconic beaches for over 13 years, Patrick or ‘Falzo’ to his mates, says he wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for his father. 

“I suppose you could say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. My old man was a lifeguard when he was young, so itwould be fair to say that he taught me almost everything I know about reading the surf and monitoring conditions.” 

And while the decision to become a lifeguard is obvious for some, it wasn’t as straightforward for Pat.

“I’ve always been drawn to the beach and growing up in Maroubra meant you would always catch me in the surf before and after school. 

“I wanted a job that would allow me to be outdoors and keep fit and healthy. So when my old man came to me one day and said Council was taking applications for lifeguards, I thought to myself, yeah, that’s something I could do. Now thirteen years later, here I am.”

With over a decade of experience under his belt, Pat has certainly performed more than his fair share of rescues while patrolling our beaches, but firmly maintains that it’s all part of the job. 

“To be honest I don’t keep a tally or a record of the people I’ve saved. To me, it’s all about preventing rescue and educating the community about water safety.

“I also don’t believe we should be praised for doing our jobs. When you sign up to be a lifeguard, performing rescues is part of the job. It takes a dedicated team of men and women to do what we do. We all pull our weight, no one is better than anyone else.”

So what’s a typical day like for a full-time Randwick City Lifeguard? Well Pat assures us it’s not all blue skies, fun and games. 

“We kick off each working day bright and early at 7am. First we check the surf conditions and upload a report to the Randwick Lifeguard app, and then we check all equipment, from the medical bag, to the buggies and jet skis. 

“Most of our day involves watching the water and making sure everyone obeys the beach safety rules by swimming between the flags. It doesn’t sound like a lot of work for some but when you’re constantly on alert and responsible for the safety of others, our days aren’t as easy as most.” 

So next time you’re down at Maroubra beach, stop by the lifeguard tower and say g’day to Pat. You’ll be guaranteed a place in his good books if you quote his favourite South Sydney Rabbitohs line —‘red and green will always be seen… red, white and blue wouldn’t have a clue’.

Last Updated: 1 March 2022
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