An extra set of red and yellow flags on the Bay of Plenty coastline have proved their worth, with surf lifesaving officials claiming the absence of regional and volunteer lifeguards at Tay Street would have resulted in fatalities.

Between December 27 and January 11, volunteer lifeguards were stationed at Tay Street Beach, having their work cut out thanks to warmer weather and a deep trough just off the coast producing fast moving rips taking swimmers by surprise.

SLNZ Eastern Region lifesaving and education manager Leigh Sefton and senior regional lifeguard Jackson Edwards inspect beach conditions at Tay Street. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Labelled as Mount Maunganui's second most frequented stretch of beach, the fortnight of fulltime patrol follows a successful bid by Surf Life Saving New Zealand for a flagged area before Tauranga City Council.

SLNZ Eastern Region lifesaving and education manager Leigh Sefton says the two-week period and three weekend's either side – supported by both Mount Maunganui and Omanu surf clubs – was a roaring success.

Rescue figures are still being collated due to the incredibly busy summer season, but Leigh is adamant there would have been drownings given the unusual and 'extreme” conditions.

This is the first time in 15 years a flagged area has been set up, where in the past lifeguards from the two clubs have undertaken roaming patrols from either end of the beach.

'So call it timely, call it whatever you want,” says Leigh, 'but certainly from my point of view, if we didn't have the flags there this year, I honestly think we would have had some fatalities given the conditions and the amount of rescues we did have.

'Because all the rescues we did have during that key holiday period were of a high end nature, they were all critical. They weren't preventative/rescue, they were full on rescues.”

SLSNZ figures show between December 30, 2013, and January 1, 2014, there were two rescues at Tay St and six rescues the year before from December 29, 2012, and January 7, 2013.

Leigh, after visiting the stretch of beach frequently during summer, says it is pleasing to see the bulk of people swimming in the flagged areas opposed to in rips and holes as with previous years.

Despite the flags no longer being in sight, lifeguards from either club can still be seen roaming the area with beach numbers remaining high.

'They are making sure that it's as regular as it can possibly be given what we experienced through this period,” adds Leigh.

'It's settled down a little bit now but we are certainly not complacent because we are aware that at any point along the coastline that trough can go off.”