Lifeguard: Avoid choppy waters

With school on vacation, many parents and their children head to the beaches but senior lifeguard John Whisky yesterday advised against sea-bathing along the North Coast, which showers drenched between Monday and yesterday.

On Monday night, a tree fell on a lifeguard tower at Tyrico Bay, blown down by strong gusts of wind, said Whisky.

“We are having high winds and strong current in the sea and there would be a heavy undercurrent with big waves,” Whisky said yesterday.

“It was fortunate that no lifeguards were in the tower,” he said, adding that lifeguards have had reports of flooding at Gran Fond Village, Maracas Bay.

The North Coast has been vulnerable to flooding, landslides and massive waves during past rainy seasons.

Even on days of no rainfall, Whisky advised sea-bathers not to enter the water unless lifeguards are on duty. They should also ask lifeguards which areas are safe to swim in.

Apart from choppy waters, Whisky said bathers should be on the look out for jelly fish which frequent the beaches in the rainy season, as well as rocky shorelines.

“There are Portuguese man-of-war around this time of year and with this (intense) water conditions the shoreline is more narrow and rocks are exposed which could be a hazard to the public, especially at coastal areas,” he added.

Whisky said children should not be sent into the sea without an adult, and there should be a headcount for those at the beach in groups.