Heartless thieves have put lives at risk in Rest Bay, Porthcawl by stealing utility ATV donated by the public to lifeguards worth more than £8000. The custom quad bike had been painted in red and decorated with the signs of the lifeguard and had become one of their vital pieces of equipment.
During the summer of this year, the utility quad bike has helped lifeguards in six sea rescues, along with 23 incidents which were related to first aid, all of which occurred on what is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the region.
Police are now asking for help from the public in tracking down the quad bike, which they think could have been stolen to order. Thieves broke into the Porthcawl Lifeguard Station on the night of 30th October, forcing their way through locked doors to steal the Honda TRX 500 FE quad bike, despite it being secure.
Despite the quad bike not being used to officially patrol the beach in the winter, the lifeguard team do use it to help with safety events which cover many surfing competitions. The next competition is in just a few weeks’ time and without the quad bike, their ability to offer safety cover has been jeopardised.
This theft is said to have made a huge impact on the operations of the lifeguards and it could endanger lives. The Chief Inspector of Police in South Wales said that the theft was despicable and the loss of the ATV was massive.