Drownings – summit must urgently be called

ONCE again, the pleasure and enjoyment of a welcome holiday break has been shattered by untimely drowning deaths.

Two young brothers tragically lost their lives on Saturday when they waded too far from the shore, encountered a sudden drop and, unable to stand or swim, disappeared beneath the surface.

How terrible that what should have been a blessed day of fun in the sun for these youngsters ended in a nightmare for their families, friends, church brethren and the larger community.

Something must be done – and urgently – to prevent the ever increasing toll of drownings in the Bay Hall area.

A number of factors contribute to the heart-breaking phenomena.

The first is that the area gives a false sense of security.

Unlike the ocean, there are no great waves that threaten bathers. No cross currents. No rip tides.

But the tranquil waters conceal hidden dangers, due to the vast difference in the high tide and low tide profile of the sea bed.

At times, it is possible to walk out for great distances without encountering a hole, depression, ledge or shelf on the sand floor below.

At other times, just a few metres from the shoreline one treads off a ridge into sudden, deep water – with fatal consequences for non-swimmers.

(Add to this the fact that many times the bather might have consumed alcohol.)

The danger has been aired many times in this newspaper.

Authorities have issued countless warnings, to no avail.

What is the answer?

A ban on bathing in the Bay Hall/Pelican Island area is impractical.

It is a beautiful recreational area that is well suited to swimming and leisure activities, and it would be criminal to disallow access to this God-given amenity.

Placing warning boards or a line of buoys at the point where the water suddenly becomes deeper is also not an option, as the temptation to swim out to the buoys is always there.

Having lifeguards on duty will help, but they would of necessity be limited in number and in duty hours.

The only proper solution is education.

School and other groups who arrive should be confronted by multi-lingual notice boards depicting the dangers.

Loudspeaker announcements on busy days would also help, as would improved adult supervision.

We suggest a summit be urgently convened to seek more ideas on preventing these catastrophes.