BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — Cortez Beach on Anna Maria Island will soon be getting three lifeguard towers and six new lifeguards. It's an addition that's been a long time in coming.

  • Beach will be staffed similar to Coquina Beach
  • County 1/2 cent sales tax increase helping to pay for additions
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"Cortez Beach has always been a part of Manatee County, but it's never been guarded by active lifeguards," said Joe Westerman, Chief of the Beach Patrol Division in Manatee County. 

Westerman says he has been trying to secure the funds to get lifeguards on the heavily populated beach for roughly three decades. The beach is prominently marked by three long piers that stretch out into the gulf.   

"In my 30 year career we've had many incidents up in that area where we've had spinal injuries, patients flown out for different accidents that have happened off of those piers," he said. 

To learn more about just when you can expect to see these new lifeguards staffing Cortez Beach, watch the video above!