SeaSafe in peril: The lifeguards who save lives on Cox’s Bazar beach now in need of their own rescue

Adran Tripura didn't hesitate when a rip current dragged two women away at Laboni Point in Cox's Bazar sea beach. Instead of waiting for a rescue boat, he leapt straight into the rip current himself.

"If I had waited for the boat, those women would have died," he said.  

Rip currents are among the most dangerous hazards for swimmers — powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that quickly pull people out to sea. Victims often panic while exhausting themselves in desperate attempts to fight the current. That struggle leads to fear, fatigue, and drowning. Even strong swimmers can feel overwhelmed in such situations. 

Adran, a trained rescuer with the SeaSafe Lifeguard organisation — a project under the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) initiative that provides lifeguard services in Cox's Bazar with an aim to reduce drowning deaths — used the current to his advantage. 

"I know how to swim out of a rip current. You don't fight it — you swim parallel to the shore until you're free, then head back diagonally. But most people panic, fight the current, and drown," he said.

By harnessing the current's speed, Adran reached the women quickly and pulled them back to safety, just as his colleague arrived with the boat. 

Adran is one of 27 lifeguards who have saved 782 lives on Cox's Bazar beach over the past decade — 78 last year alone. In the same period, 63 people drowned. Without SeaSafe, that toll would have been far higher.

But the lifeguards themselves are now in need of saving.

Their sole donor, the UK-based Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), will end its funding on 30 September. From 1 October, SeaSafe will have no means to operate unless the government can secure an emergency extension — something the lifeguards fear is unlikely.

Despite the uncertainties, they expect to scrape by for three months with no guaranteed funds to cover salaries and operational costs.

When we met Adran last Friday at Kalatali beach, thousands of tourists crowded Cox's Bazar's shoreline.

"On days like this, when tens of thousands gather here, 27 men and a handful of volunteers cannot possibly cover everyone. And the number of tourists is rising every year," he said.

The lifeguards currently patrol three areas — Kalatali, Sugandha, and Laboni. Yet thousands of visitors spread across other stretches of the world's longest sea beach, where no lifeguards are stationed.

Volunteers say accidents at these unguarded points are frequent.

Last July, three students from the University of Chittagong drowned at Himchari Point — a stretch without lifeguard cover.

"To cover this beach properly, we need many more staff and volunteers. But we only have 27 — and now even that is at risk," said Ramzan Ali, a lifeguard who has been with SeaSafe since 2017.

For lifeguards like Ramzan, the looming shutdown threatens not just public safety, but their own livelihoods.

We need a permanent solution. There should be a concerted effort from the hotels, motels and guesthouses to contribute and keep this service operational, the INGOs working here could also extend support from funds meant for local communities, and, of course, government backing would make all the difference.

IMTIAZ AHMED, SEASAFE TEAM MANAGER

"I've built up years of experience rescuing tourists. If this service comes to an end, what do I do — become a mason? I've never learned that trade. And at the same time, tourists will have no one to save them. More lives will be lost," he said.

Launched in 2012 and piloted since 2014, SeaSafe has patrolled Cox's Bazar beach in shifts, often risking its members' lives to save others.

SeaSafe team manager Imtiaz Ahmed said the district administration is preparing a formal request to RNLI for an extension or reallocation of funds.

"The RNLI already extended once. Their funding was supposed to end in December 2024, but they granted nine extra months. Earlier this year their representatives told us clearly, in front of government officials, that they cannot extend further," Imtiaz said.

He is doubtful about the possibility of another request for extension being entertained.

"There are about ten major points along this beach. To operate in two shifts, with at least ten members per shift, we'd need a hundred lifeguards," Imtiaz regretted over the risks of shutting down the emergency service instead of expanding it.

"We need a permanent solution," he added. "There should be a concerted effort from the hotels, motels and guesthouses to contribute and keep this service operational, the INGOs working here could also extend support from funds meant for local communities, and, of course, government backing would make all the difference," he added.

For young volunteers like Mohammad Mamun, SeaSafe has been more than just a job — it's a stepping stone to a dream. A surfer in training, Mamun gives his time to SeaSafe alongside taking preparations to compete in international surfing championships.

"I love this work. It keeps me afloat and close to my dream of representing Bangladesh at the Surfing World Cup," he said. "This must continue — for me, for the tourists, and for Cox's Bazar."

Cox's Bazar Additional District Magistrate Md Shahidul Alam said the government is trying to utilise the three-month buffer time to secure a sustainable solution for SeaSafe.

"We will work to secure permanent funds, either by engaging the donor agency or, as per ministry instructions, through discussions with hotel and guesthouse owners," he said. 

However, many countries around the world provide beach safety and lifeguard services through government funding to ensure public safety and support tourism.

For example, Australia's Surf Life Saving is funded by federal and state governments, while in the US, local authorities employ trained lifeguards.

In contrast, Bangladesh does not have a government-funded beach safety initiative, despite tens of thousands of tourists flocking to Cox's Bazar throughout the year.

When asked why the government has no dedicated wing or funding support to ensure the safety of these visitors, M A Mannan, Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar, said he would advocate for public funding for such services.

"We have been thinking about this. We hope the government will finance this permanently; this is very important for safety. Even the day before yesterday, they saved five people on the beach," Mannan said.

"Many tourists in Cox's Bazar beach don't know how to swim, and even those who do can find the waves overwhelming. I will advocate for government funding to offer a permanent solution. It will help boost tourism in Cox's Bazar," he concluded.