Mysterious coded signs have recently appeared on hundreds of public beaches along Australia’s western coast, puzzling locals and tourists.
More than 1,700 green signs have been installed on Western Australian beaches in recent months.
However, there is a simple explanation: the signs are part of a new safety initiative aimed at preventing more people from losing their lives.
The purpose of the signs is to allow beachgoers who need help to quickly and easily communicate their location along the coast to emergency services.
Each sign has a unique identification code, known as BEN, which can be cited on triple 0 calls to signal the emergency area.
This will allow first responders to quickly get to the scene so they can save lives if necessary.
The measure was introduced by the city of Mandurah and has since been adopted by 42 other local government authorities across the state.
They are named after Ben Gerring, an expectant father who died after a shark ripped off half his leg while surfing in 2016.
The 29-year-old man was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital but eventually died from his injuries.
More than 1,700 BEN signs have been installed along the WA coast
Each red and green sign contains a unique identifier for the beach it is located on.
Michael Burke, from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, said the signs will be especially useful for future shark attacks.
“It is very important to familiarize yourself with these green and red signs on your favorite beaches to help emergency services use the unique BEN code when they need help,” Mr Burke said. told Yahoo.
“Each BEN sign has a unique code that can be cited in the event of an emergency to help first responders get to the scene as quickly as possible.”
The unique identification numbers on BEN signs have already been cited in more than 3,100 distress calls statewide since their introduction in 2023.
Ben’s brother, Rick, has spent years campaigning for the signs to be installed en masse.
“Most Australians live on the coast and we love swimming, surfing and diving, and everything in and under the water,” Rick told the Mandurah Times.
“We want tourists to come here, we want people to enjoy the lifestyle.”
Anyone needing emergency services can enter the code BEN for immediate assistance at any beach they call from.
Gerring was attacked at the popular Gearies break at Falcon Beach, 80 kilometers south of Perth.
At the time, his family thanked everyone involved in his rescue and treatment at the Royal Perth Hospital, particularly the other beachgoers who came to his aid.
“For me, the kids who swam are absolute heroes. It’s just incredible that they would risk their own lives to go out and find him. And through them, we were given those days (in hospital) with our son,” Shane Gerring told the Sunday Times.
“They are angels of the ocean, they really are.”
The surfer’s brother Rick also thanked the “heroes” who helped Mr Gerring from the water and the emergency services for trying to save him.
“Ben loved the ocean, but his great love is and always will be Jasmine,” Rick told reporters Saturday.
Mr. Gerring’s fiancee, Jasmine Boyer, was expecting the couple’s first child.
“We have a lot to deal with now and we have a baby on the way, Ben’s first and me’s first grandchild,” Mr Gerring’s father said.
The signs are named after Ben Gerring, 29, who died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in 2016.
A 4.2 meter great white shark was later trapped and killed after becoming caught in baited drum lines near where Mr Gerring was attacked.
He was pulled from the water at a popular Gearies surf spot near Falcon after a shark attacked him from behind at around 4pm.
Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries placed baited drum lines at the attack site to trap the shark as part of its controversial serious threat policy.
The department revealed that the shark became trapped and died on the drum line. It was then towed out to sea and dumped after samples and measurements were taken.