Cyprus is overhauling how lifeguards are certified, with the process moving to a professional standard overseen by the human resources development authority (Anad).

Speaking on Politis Radio, Oekydy-SEK secretary-general George Constantinou said a new standard has been devised to evaluate candidates’ knowledge and skills.

It replaces the system previously run by the lifeguard federation, as candidates will now certify their skills through Anad rather than the old framework.

Constantinou conceded that staffing shortages remain a serious problem, for out of the island’s 113 lifeguard towers, 33 are currently unstaffed.

He blamed seasonal employment, saying many lifeguards quit the profession because they could not rely on short term work followed by unemployment.

He called for more permanent positions, allowing younger lifeguards to start seasonally before gaining permanent status.

He said the longer tourist season now demands coverage for more of the year.

He also raised concerns over limited hours, as coverage on most beaches runs from around 9.30am or 10am to 5pm, despite bathers staying later into the evening during summer.

He remarked that lifeguards’ duties go beyond drownings, such as attending to heart attacks and other serious injuries, many of which go unreported publicly.

Equipment shortages have also been recorded, with the interior ministry working to address the gaps.

He repeated a call for a unified beach safety service to coordinate safety issues across the island.

Beach supervision currently falls to district administrations working with local authorities while local authorities alone oversee swimming pools.

The announcement follows criticism from lifeguard federation chairman Polys Pallikaros, who called the closure of towers at 6pm “criminal” after a Romanian woman drowned at CTO beach in Larnaca earlier this month.