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Tragic Incidents Prompt Action To Avoid Further Problems During The Busy Easter Period
Cancun has increased its lifeguard presence for the busy Easter period after two tourists lost their lives on the same day. The deaths are just two of a number of drownings to occur in Cancun this year.
Thursday’s two unfortunate incidents could have been even worse. The first of the deaths was a 22-year-old man from Cancun, According to reports, he was pulled out to sea by strong currents and subsequently began to struggle with the waves. Two lifeguards entered the water to assist him along with two other people who were struggling. Upon his return to the shoreline, lifeguards and paramedics attempted to aid him.
Unfortunately, he had no vital signs and was pronounced dead on the beach. Por Esto covered the incident and published photos of the failed attempt to resuscitate him. The event happened on San Miguelito beach in Cancun at around 2:30 PM.
Later that afternoon, a large family group entered the water on Playa Delphines, one of the most popular beaches in the Cancun area. The waves and current were both being signaled as strong at the time, where a red flag suggests swimmers should not enter the water.
Many of the family members were met with problems and struggled to stay afloat as they battled the waves and current. Many of those panicking dragged others into the deeper water with them as they tried to help. Rescue services entered the water and managed to return all of the members of the family to the shore.
However, one member of the group, a forty-one-year-old man drowned in the process. A distressing video of the incident was also published by Por Esto showing his lifeless body being dragged from the water before paramedics and lifeguards began trying to revive him to no avail. His body was covered and then retrieved by medical services.
After the events of Thursday, the city council of Benito Juarez, the district where Cancun is situated, decided to reinforce the lifeguard presence across all the beaches. The beaches are patrolled by lifeguards from 10 AM until 6 PM every day with around 23 lifeguards on duty. It is unclear if they are adding further lifeguards or only increasing the numbers working at any one time.
From the information available, the increased patrols will only be for the busier season to help avoid any further problems. It should be made clear that in both tragic deaths, there was no suggestion that the lifeguards on duty failed to do their job in any way. With multiple people struggling in the water, they did everything that could be done and saved the lives of multiple others.
Still, adding extra lifeguards to the busier sections is a sensible decision and may prove vital in an unfortunate repeat situation.
Cancun and the rest of Quintana have welcomed over a million tourists over the course of Easter Week, and the addition of added lifeguard patrols is just one of many new safety protocols installed by the local government. Tourists will have spotted national guard soldiers patrolling the beaches and popular tourists zones, and police presence will also have been much higher.
Keeping visitors safe and secure on their vacations is a key part of maintaining the massive amount of progress the city and state have made over the course of the pandemic. Mexico’s relaxed stance on entry requirements allowed Cancun to skyrocket to the top of the world’s most sought-after destinations. Keeping ahold of it now is the focus, even as other destinations open up.
Those traveling to Cancun and Quintana Roo should make themselves aware of the safety warnings on the beach to avoid putting themselves in any potential danger.
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