An Australian lifeguard from an award-winning television show swapped the sandy shores of Bondi Beach in Sydney for Clacton during a visit to the Essex coast.
Trent Maxwell – better known as Lifeguard Maxi from Bondi Rescue – visited Clacton’s West Beach on Sunday, May 1 as part of his UK and Ireland 'Live Learn Survive' tour.
The visit was organised by Tendring District Council’s (TDC) Beach Patrol team, who provide safety cover along the Essex Sunshine Coast during the summer months.
Clacton was the last stop on Maxi’s tour and the lifeguard proved popular as a crowd gathered to meet him, hear his safety talk and ask questions.
The Aussie star is the youngest ever professional lifeguard to patrol Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where he started as a 16-year-old trainee, a career documented on the award-winning television series Bondi Rescue.
In 2016, he became a firefighter for New South Wales Fire and Rescue, and is now a senior firefighter and qualified rescue operator based at Bankstown Fire Station in Sydney.
Alex Porter, TDC cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “Not only was Maxi popular with the general public, but he also stayed long after people left to spend time with our own TDC Beach Patrol team which was a great experience for them.
“Although Maxi covers a beach 10,500-odd miles away, the water safety advice is common across Bondi and our shoreline – and Maxi’s personality and celebrity make him ideal to reach out to people to pass on that message.”
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