Another drowning

[medusa85]

Sadly there was another drowning on drop beach. A British woman working here sadly got into trouble and could not get back on to the shore. Names and details are respectfully held back. Lack of resources meant there were no lifeguards on duty as seems to have been the case for most of the summer. Be very careful people, these waters are very very dangerous. Stay very close to the shore and don't take chances no matter how good a swimmer you think you may be? Sympathy goes out to this ladies family and to those who knew her.

[KWC]

Sadly there was another drowning on drop beach. A British woman working here sadly got into trouble and could not get back on to the shore. Names and details are respectfully held back. Lack of resources meant there were no lifeguards on duty as seems to have been the case for most of the summer. Be very careful people, these waters are very very dangerous. Stay very close to the shore and don't take chances no matter how good a swimmer you think you may be? Sympathy goes out to this ladies family and to those who knew her.

Yes very sad indeed and my condolences to her family and friends.

Excuse my ignorance, but where is drop beach. Might be others out there who don't know and perhaps should.

[medusa85]

Excuse my ignorance, but where is drop beach. Might be others out there who don't know and perhaps should.

Not ignorant at all, many of us don't know the names of all the beaches. Drop beach is the last one driving out of Corralejo or the first coming in. Named I assume because the beach  is a little drop down from the road? The most dangerous section is in the far corner near the rocks. Here the currents seem to be the strongest and should be avoided. Even those swimming a little further up the beach can find themselves unknowingly being dragged toward the rocks. Best to avoid altogether! Remember that most the beaches outside of town have an element of danger due to the currents so care and vigilance should be taken at all times.

[pestcatore]

I have fished those beaches out of Corra and can testify the currents are extremely strong, a drowning is always very sad

[woe10]

I´ve said for years that there should be signs up at Drop Beach to say NO SWIMMING. I remember about 15 years ago, a father drowned trying to save his two sons. The currents are so dangerous, and tourists are un-awear of this. Many times I´ve driven past and seen kids swimming there and my stomach turns.

For people coming from Caleta, it´s the First Beach at the sand dunes. Very pretty and inviting, but so dangerous.
 

[KWC]

Thanks for the information.

I should say that the beachs on the West Coast in particular are very dangerous as well, if not more so. I recall (once) heading over to Cofete and the sea looked angry and strong there, so didn't venture in past my knees. Even then you could feel the undertow working the sand around you.

[woe10]

KWC54, you have 3000 miles of Atlantic Ocean pounding the west coast of Fuerteventura. It rushes through the gap between Fuerte and Lanzarote like a funnel. It´s stopped by the land mass of Africa, which is only 60 miles away, so rushes like a river down the east side of Fuerte, causing all kinds of currents.

I drove past Playa Blanca this morning (the beach between the Airport and Rosario) and 3 lots of Red Flags were out. Even so, apart from the surfers, people were in the sea. I remember a Soldier from El Matorral barracks drowning there about 5 years ago.

[fifi]

Sad news. May she rest in peace.

[austin7]

I have noticed a problem out on Flag beach - I go there regularly for a walk and a swim, the water is wonderfully clear and at the moment very pleasant.  Unfortunately the lifeguards seem to have a very poor policy re flags.

I used to be a life guard on Cornwalls Fistral Beach ( a few years go now) we used to check the state of the water hourly throughout the day, and change the flags as appropriate.

The object of the flags is to warn of conditions at that time, not several hours earlier.  Whoever is responsible for this on Flag beach is either incompetent or lazy. 

About 4 years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to pull someone out of the water when they got into difficulties at the far end of Flag beach, the swimmer had been swept out in big waves, and the current was pushing him towards the rocks.  Earlier in the day the sea had been much calmer, and Yellow flags were flying, but at this time it was definately Red flag conditions, but nobody had bothered to change the flag

This is still happening, often they have red flags flying when the conditions do no merit it, and they are ignored as it is perfectly safe, on other occassions I have been swimming under Yellow or Green flags, when the currents and waves have definately deserved Red flags. There is no continuity, so the flags tend to be ignored.

[woe10]

Well, it´s obvious that these so-called "Lifeguards" are not fit for purpose, according to your account. Are they qualified, and to who´s standards are they qualified. Who trained them, and where were they trained.  Are they just guys who didn´t have a job, and now have one for a couple of months. I think us tax payers are entitled to answers.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Don't know all the answers Woe, but there are only 3 of them this year on Corralejo Grandes Playas, far less than previous years. Funding I presume. I recognise them as having been here previously, so not newbies off the street.
Divert some Guardia from roundabout duty?? 
I was a lifeguard many years ago in the UK on a voluntary basis at weekends. I know people need paid work to survive but perhaps a voluntary system could be introduced to supplement the few socarista who are employed and who have long stretches of coast to monitor, until the economic situation improves?
Very sad when you see lives being lost that might have been saved if not for the cutbacks.

[medusa85]

And now another one drowned yesterday. 35 year old man same beach I believe? 

[Voldermort]

Dear me, then something needs to be done.......The French have a good system. During the summer they use officers from the infamous CRS Police. All trained obviously to a very high standard, with Police Offficer powers on the beach. If they blow the whistle, you RUN out of the sea. They dont tolerate slackers 

     This system works and does save lives. Trouble is financially it may be too late for Spain. It is looking to reduce systems not enhance them 

[niksternoo]

oh no, this is such a tragedy  surely they have to do something? even if they put a sign up to say there have been fatalities due to the dangerous waters to make people realise quite what they are dealing with when they step into the sea?

[woe10]

The Australians are the leaders in Lifeguard safety at beaches. They employ over 700 fully paid Professional guards nationwide, not including volunteers.

http://www.lifeguards.com.au/About_the_ALS/Who_we_are

[woe10]

http://youtu.be/-hCZuYzNujI

[Spike On Q]

We were around the north east coast today - a big sea running, about 2m to 3m powerful waves

There was not one flag nor lifeguard in sight on any of the beaches - form Drop to Flag beach where it was roughest

Should we presume the financial cuts are now starting to cost lives?

[Paddster]

Brilliant that woe,i watch Bondi Rescue but wasn't sure what a rip was exactly and how to deal with them but now i do,great stuff,cheers for that.......

[woe10]

I don´t think the Tour Reps from First Choice, Thompsons etc... know what a rip-tide is either, but I bet they can teach you the Agadoo-doo-doo 

[ZappaRocks]

Don't rely on other swimmers to find a safe place as, especially with surfers, they will often use a rip to get out to the bigger waves.

No swimmer can out swim a strong rip so don't try, you'll only end up a weak swimmer and in trouble. Either tread water till it carries you out, loses it's power and hopefully the incoming waves will bring you back in.

Or take your time but swim sideways.

While on the south coast of Ireland (near Cork) on holiday we stopped over a horse shoe bay, it was about 6am, the water was calm enough with some nice big waves rolling in among the steam, it was summer.

We could see the warning signs and a lifebelt but also railway type sleepers embedded in the sand as bollards to stop the sand being washed away. (another good sign) But it also meant we had a small tract of water to play in. I recorded waves coming in at around 25+mph elsewhere so falling sideways towards these wooden beams at that speed won't do much for your neck.

The sand at the beach was steep which normally means it's even steeper below the waterline as these beaches have waves which rise at the last minute and dump closer to the beach taking debris with them. Drop beach is similar, if I remember as I was on it once years ago and probably how it got it's name.

As Spike says watch the wind direction, if it is blowing out to sea and you can no longer touch the bottom it can rapidly carry you out. But for surfers an offshore wind also tends to hold up the wave longer meaning a better ride.

I did try to race the rip back in Ireland after a couple of awkward waves ripped off the spray decks (hole covering where you sit in) and tipped me and my mate out. At full pelt for about ten minutes I did beat it (inch at a time) but was absolutely exhausted for about half an hour and this rip wasn't that strong.

Although I knew what I was doing I still had to let go of my kayak which then got taken out by the rip and picked up by the incoming waves back to shore, as we would have.

[Staceymac]

Hi I am the daughter of the woman that died, she was only 44 and this was a tragedy, she swims on this beach every Saturday on her day off, there are no warnings on this beach and there have been many both before and after the death of my mother. I believe there should be a lifeguard on this beach during the summer months, just 4 hours after this tragedy there were still children playing in the sea in the exact spot where she was killed and it was like nothing had happened as they were not made aware of the situation. In fuerteventura if there are no flags on the beach this means there r no life guards but most residents r not aware of this so how r tourists supposed to no. Something has to be done as it is happening far to often. Nothing will bring back my mother but it might help others and every one should be made aware of what goes on as I feel it is all covered up and hidden!!

[emmi]

My sincere condolences to you, it was a terrible thing to happen and should have been preventable.  But it is not going unnoticed by the Spanish press as here is a link to an article which is condemning the lack of lifeguards

http://www.laprovincia.es/fuerteventura/2012/08/31/rezamos-ahoguen-ninos/480028.html

[fifi]

My sincere concolences also Traceymac and thank you for your concern for others.

[woe10]

Holiday Reps should be making this a PRIORITY, but that doesn´t make money does it ?? 

Sorry about you loss Tracy. 

[oystercatcher]

Stacey. I'm so sorry.

It's the beaches that draw people here and create what, 90% of the island's income? The weather's great too but you can get hot sun in Madrid and nobody goes there for that.

The island authorities find money for the most unlikely projects yet safe beaches?? Manana.  I'm glad the Spanish press has taken it up. It carries more weight.

If it helps, and little can at such a time, your Mum must have been doing what she loved to do.

[Spike On Q]

NO flags, NO lifeguards, the cost of the crisis!

We cover the risks every week on Spike On Q with Alex from the Aloha Surf Academy alongside the risk of sunburn

[woe10]

It can´t cost much to erect VISIBLE signs on certain beaches where it´s too dangerous to swim. These are human lives that are being lost, or are expensive Cheese Museums and Cycle Tracks more important.

[Paddster]

Good point woe...................

[KWC]

Hi I am the daughter of the woman that died, she was only 44 and this was a tragedy, she swims on this beach every Saturday on her day off, there are no warnings on this beach and there have been many both before and after the death of my mother. I believe there should be a lifeguard on this beach during the summer months, just 4 hours after this tragedy there were still children playing in the sea in the exact spot where she was killed and it was like nothing had happened as they were not made aware of the situation. In fuerteventura if there are no flags on the beach this means there r no life guards but most residents r not aware of this so how r tourists supposed to no. Something has to be done as it is happening far to often. Nothing will bring back my mother but it might help others and every one should be made aware of what goes on as I feel it is all covered up and hidden!!

My sincere condolances stacey and its very brave and appreciated of you to come on with your warnings and comments to help others.

Thanks for coming onto the forum and hope that you will stay in touch

[Magoo]

I do my swimming near Esquinzo in the South. For most of the time it seems to be fairly benign. However, you only need observe the millions of tonnes of sand that can appear, or vanish overnight to tell you that there is some very heavy stuff going on under there.

Fuerteventura is not Benidorm thank God. You can still get to some very remote beaches to enjoy your own company, it would be impractical to sign post them all. However, Drop Beach being so close to Corry should have one given it's track record. I agree that reps could do more. They have an hour to prattle on during the transfers, put it to some use.