Last weekend’s incident in which two men drowned (see related story) was obviously heart-breaking, especially for their loved ones. There was no high surf advisory in effect at the time, but waves were expected to peak at seven feet and small craft operators as well as sea-bathers had been told to exercise caution.
Exactly what happened at Mullet Bay on Saturday afternoon is unclear, but it’s certainly not the first time swimmers have underestimated conditions at various locations, sometimes with tragic consequences. The question remains what can reasonably be done to prevent this.
A long-time visitor suggested hiring lifeguards on The Daily Herald’s Facebook page. This would also help youngsters with constructive jobs and training instead of getting involved in the wrong gangs, he added.
There is no arguing over the merits of that idea, but – as always – it has a price-tag. With Government facing financial restrictions and strict budgetary control one has to wonder where the funds would come from, although the private sector might be willing to contribute through, for example, the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and/or the St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA), considering this matter’s importance for the local tourism economy.
In the meantime, a simple red flag system could be deployed at popular beaches for a lot less money. The flags would be flown according to that day’s circumstances and based on indications of the Meteorological Office.
Rather than paying others to do so, the service could be included in the permits of existing commercial beach facilities so that this becomes their legal responsibility. Of course, it will still depend on each individual whether and how far he or she goes out into the water, but at least there would be some type of early warning.
Note to our readers:
The wrong (old) front page was accidentally printed in Saturday’s WEEKender. The feature story on 50 years of Sundial School that was consequently only partially published will (re)appear in the Tuesday paper.
