Last Updated
Course Begins In The Wake Of Multiple Tragedies In Tulum and Cancun’s Beaches And Cenotes
Specific members of the Tulum police force are being trained in diving rescues to help strengthen the emergency responses in the area. The training begins just weeks after multiple people have died in Quintana Roo’s cenotes and beaches.
The training course began this week and will be a welcome addition to Quintana Roo’s safety protocols. The head of the general directorate of public safety said “Today the training began for the first group of police officers, taking session one of ‘Professional Police Rescue Diver’, to help the population and foreigners who come to visit our Cenotes and Beaches.”
Quintana Roo has a complicated situation in regards to its tourist safety. Although lifeguards patrol the majority of its beaches, it also has hundreds of cenotes, a geological water feature that is fairly unique to the region. The beauty of the cenotes is a huge draw for many tourists but poses many challenges that typical lifeguards could not cope with,
Surrounded by rocks, many tourists seek out quiet ones with exciting jumps from the rocks around. The risk of hitting heads or breaking bones on the rock. They are also extremely popular for scuba diving, something that has drawn attention in recent weeks.
Two weeks ago, a Russian diver died while exploring the underground caverns of a cenote near Tulum. Sadly, he ran out of oxygen after meeting problems deep underwater and was unable to resurface safely. He was unable to be retrieved for a few days, increasing the trauma of the situation for his family and friends.
Eventually, a dive rescue team was able to retrieve his body. He was an experienced diver with over a hundred successful dives under his belt and it is not clear what prompted the issues under the water.
The lifeguard presence has also been increased across the state after a number of sad incidents on the beaches of Cancun. Easter week saw multiple fatalities as tourists continue to ignore the warning flags displayed on the beach.
One particularly sad day saw two tourists lose their life in one afternoon. In both cases, a red flag was on display, suggesting a high level of danger for swimmers. This could come in the form of strong riptides or powerful waves that make it tough to swim.
One of the cases was made considerably better than the potential outcome as over ten people nearly drowned. Lifeguards and other tourists are seen in a video forming a human chain to try and pull those struggling back to shore. As they are doing this, the lifeless body of a middle-aged man is seen being dragged onto the sand by lifeguards. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he was pronounced dead on the scene.
The new dive course, as well as the increased lifeguard presence, is part of a broader scheme to ensure that tourists remain safe in Quintana Roo, helping to set the region up as one of the top destinations in the world. Its popularity is already unquestionable, but questions often arise regarding tourist safety and the infrastructure in place to support a safe environment for those enjoying the beaches.
Those traveling to Cancun or elsewhere in Quintana Roo in the near future should make themselves aware of the warning signals available to them. Tourists should not swim outside of the patrolled times of 9 AM to 6 PM and should avoid swimming in any cenotes unless under supervision. Many of the denotes have trips available but those that are not monitored should be avoided.
Plan Your Next Cancun Vacation:
Traveler Alert: Don’t Forget Travel Insurance For Your Next Trip!
Choose From Thousands of Cancun and Riviera Maya Hotels, Resorts and Hostels with Free Cancellation On Most Properties
↓ Join the community ↓
The Cancun Sun Community FB group has all the latest travel news, conversations and tourism Q&A’s for the Mexican Caribbean
Subscribe to our Latest Posts
Enter your email address to subscribe to The Cancun Sun’s latest breaking news affecting travelers, straight to your inbox.
Gaby
Friday 6th of May 2022
Why several people have die in beaches and Cenotes? Drawing?