A LIFEGUARD from Australia’s famous Bondi Beach experienced the sandy shores of the Essex Sunshine Coast during a visit to Clacton at the weekend.

Trent Maxwell – better known as Lifeguard Maxi from hit TV show Bondi Rescue – visited Clacton’s West Beach last Sunday as part of his UK and Ireland Live Learn Survive tour.

The visit was organised by Tendring Council’s Beach Patrol team, who themselves provide safety cover along the coast during the summer months.

Clacton was the last stop on Maxi’s tour and proved popular with a crowd gathering to meet the lifeguard, hear his safety talk and put questions to him.

Alex Porter, cabinet member for 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 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.”

Maxi is the youngest ever professional lifeguard to patrol Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where he started as a 16-year-old trainee, a career well-documented on the award-winning TV series.