Life-saving medical equipment had been locked away a short walk from where a man died of a suspected heart attack at Austinmer Beach this week.The death of 56-year-old Alexander Anderson, of Kirrawee, on Thursday has sparked renewed debate into whether lifeguard patrol hours are adequate.Beachgoers spotted the bodyboarder floating face down in the water about 6.30pm - half-an-hour after lifeguards ended their shift.As residents performed chest compressions on Mr Anderson, about 50m away, locked in a lifeguard storeroom sat a defibrillator, an electronic device that administers an electric shock to restart the heart in an emergency.Mercury chief photographer and Austinmer resident Kirk Gilmour rang triple-0 about 6.30pm when Mr Anderson was first seen. "I'd say it was about 15 minutes when the ambulance arrived," he said."At that time, late afternoon, there were between 80-100 people on the beach."He said the popular beach was frequented by parents, children, workers and tourists late in the afternoon trying to cool down after a hot day.The efforts of residents who dragged the unconscious man from the water and began resuscitation were described as "nothing short of heroic"."To witness the man dying and then to be told by a surf club volunteer who arrived at the beach later that there was a defibrillator that is easy to operate in the surf club was soul destroying," he said."With the greatest respect to the professional lifeguards, I think it would be in the public's best interest that they should be there until sunset during the popular summer months."United Services Union lifeguard delegate Terry Hagan said the council should consider extending patrol hours."People are going to swim late, so when do you stop patrolling?"Wollongong City Council are going through a service review (of lifeguard services) and this may be the sort of thing they should be looking at," he said.Mr Hagan has witnessed increased visitor numbers at Wollongong's popular beaches but believes this has not been matched by an increase in funds."We are still running on a 1980s budget," he said.United Services Union's Wollongong spokesman Scott Peterson said if lifeguards had their way they would extend their operating hours."I have no doubt that the view of lifeguards and the general public is that the beach operating hours should be extended and not shortened especially through the summer months," he said.Former Wollongong independent councillor David Martin said his former constituents would complain about the early closing times."The demand is real, the need is real, and unfortunately it is going to come at a cost," he said.Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguard Association national president Greg Hackfath said councils struggled to fund lifeguard services."It is really about competing priorities and it depends on what the community sees as vital - whether roads and rubbish win or whether lifeguards are the issue," he said. "It's probably an issue for all areas along the coastal strip and it is mainly because there is never enough money in the bucket."A council spokeswoman said the council "actively educates and encourages swimmers to follow the swim safety rules"."That means swimmers must only swim between the red-and-yellow flags and follow the no flags - no swim rule," she said. Lifeguards had the option to stay on the beach after their shift was over if beach conditions were dangerous.The incident followed a drowning at Bombo Beach in January. There, poor communications between lifeguards and emergency services were blamed for slower response times.