Beachgoers left baffled by hundreds of mysterious signs that have appeared along Australia’s coastline

Mysterious coded signs have recently appeared on hundreds of public beaches along Australia’s west coast, confusing locals and tourists.

More than 1,700 green signposts have been installed on beaches across Western Australia in recent months.

However, there is a simple explanation: the signs are part of a new safety initiative aimed at preventing more people from dying.

The purpose of the signs is to allow beachgoers who need help to quickly and easily report their location along the coast to the emergency services.

Each sign has a unique identification code, known as a BEN, which can be quoted on triple-0 calls to locate the area of ​​an emergency.

This allows emergency responders to quickly reach the scene directly, so that 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 units in the state.

They take their name from Ben Gerring, an expectant father who died after a shark bit off half his leg while he was surfing in 2016.

The 29-year-old was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital but ultimately died from his injuries.

More than 1,700 BEN signs have been placed along the WA coastline

Each red and green sign contains a unique identifier for the beach on which it is placed

Each red and green sign contains a unique identifier for the beach on which it is placed

Michael Burke from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the signals will be particularly useful for future shark attacks.

“Becoming familiar with these green and red signs on your favorite beaches is very important to help emergency services use the unique BEN code when help is needed,” 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 been cited in more than 3,100 emergency calls across the state since their introduction in 2023.

Ben’s brother, Rick, spent years campaign to place the signs en masse.

“The majority of Australians live on the coast and we love to swim, surf and dive, and everything on and under water,” Rick told Mandurah Times.

“We want tourists to come here, we want people to enjoy the lifestyle.”

Anyone in need of emergency services can use the BEN code for immediate assistance, from any beach

Anyone in need of emergency services can use the BEN code for immediate assistance, from any beach

Mr Gerring was attacked during the popular Gearies break at Falcon Beach, 80km south of Perth.

At the time, his family thanked everyone involved in his rescue and treatment at Royal Perth Hospital, especially fellow beachgoers who came to his aid.

‘The boys who actually finished swimming are absolute heroes for me. It’s just unbelievable that they risk their own lives to get him. And through them they gave us those days (in hospital) with our boy,” Shane Gerring told The Sunday Times.

“They’re angels of the ocean, they really are.”

The surfer’s brother, Rick, also thanked the ‘heroes’ who helped Mr Gerring out of the water and the emergency services for their efforts to save him.

“Ben loved the ocean, but his great love is and will always be Jasmine,” Rick told reporters on Saturday.

Mr Gerring’s fiancée, Jasmine Boyer, was expecting the couple’s first child.

“We have a lot to deal with right now and we have a bub on the way, Ben’s first and the first grandchild for me,” Mr Gerring’s father said.

The boards take their name from Ben Gerring, 29, who died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in 2016

The boards take their name from Ben Gerring, 29, who died after being attacked by a shark while surfing in 2016

A 4.2 meter great white shark was later caught and killed after being caught on baited drum lines near where Mr Gerring was attacked.

He was pulled from the water at a popular surfing spot in Gearies near Falcon after a shark attacked him from behind around 4pm.

Western Australia’s Department of Fisheries has placed baited drum lines at the site of the attack to capture the shark as part of its controversial serious threat policy.

The department revealed that the shark was caught and died during the drum line. It was then towed out to sea and dumped after samples and measurements were taken.