Cancun, Q.R. — Cancun Civil Protection says three rescues were made during the week-long Easter holidays. During that same time, two deaths were also reported.
Antonio Riveroll Ribbón, head of Benito Juárez Civil Protection, says a majority of the incidents were due to swimmers ignoring lifeguard and flag safety warnings. He says some people become annoyed by the lifeguards who warn them about the risk of going into the water due to large sea swells.
In response, several have gone swimming in unsupervised areas despite the red flag beach warnings along the Cancun Hotel Zone.
“Unfortunately when people go to public beaches and the lifeguard gives them a warning, they get upset and seek out unsupervised areas. This season, we have three rescues and two deaths. We ask that swimmers be aware of the lifeguards and the flags,” he said.
The latest incident happened Sunday evening near Playa Chac Mool where tourists, a woman from Michoacán and a man from the United States, entered the water despite strong waves and the port closure decreed since Saturday.
A nearby lifeguard managed to rescue the woman but lost sight of the American man, who is still reported missing.
On Friday night, a Cancun man drowned off Playa Gaviota Azul in the Hotel Zone. The 38 year old swimmer was at the beach with his wife when he entered the sea and was swept out by the current. Despite CPR efforts, he was pronoucned dead at the scene.
Strong winds are common for the Yucatan Peninsula during the Spring months. Many of Cancun’s beaches including Chac Mool, Delfines and Ballenas, are currently flying a no-swimming red flag.
Other public Cancun beaches such as Playa del Niño, Las Perlas, Langosta, Tortugas, and Caracol in the Hotel Zone are flying yellow ‘swim with caution’ flags.
Authorities are reiterating their call that swimmers follow lifeguard instructions and enter the water only in authorized areas.
