Hof der dingen - Air horn Belgian Lifeguards: saving lives, one honk at a time

De cornet van de redders aan onze kust

The presence of lifeguards at the Belgian coast dates back all the way to 1900. Their equipment back then? Nothing more than a lifebuoy/life preserver and a cornet – an air horn to signal swimmers who ventured too far into the North Sea. 

Did you know that the very first lifeguards couldn’t always swim themselves? You can imagine that those buoys and air horn came in very handy then to prevent them from having to go into the water themselves. 

Nowadays, 82 lifeguard posts can be found along the coastline of Belgium, making the Belgian coast one of the safest in Europe. And we have the data to back it up! During summer, more than 1400 lifeguards are employed to patrol approximately 34 kilometres of beach and ensure the safety of beachgoers. 

Of course, times have changed - with lifeguards undergoing intensive training carrying equipment up to modern standards. 

The tablets that they carry allow them to efficiently reach out to emergency services, provide detailed descriptions of missing persons during search operations, stay in contact with police and lifeguard posts, etc. 

This cornet was kindly provided by the heritage collection of the city of Middelkerke.