To most it is only logical not to swim when the sea is rough. Yet, there are people who dare and go into the sea just the same, thinking they are invincible. They are not, as shown by the number of people reported to have found themselves in difficulty, even in bays. It is only when drownings occur that the matter of safety is brought into sharp focus.
Often enough, it is the unwary tourist that finds himself in difficulty, but, make no mistake, Maltese swimmers do too. Some people simply do not seem to care for their lives and decide to swim and venture out even when the red flag is up at places notoriously known for undercurrents, or rip currents.
In all probability, these would have no idea what a frightening experience being caught in a rip current is. You are dragged away and sucked down, feeling hopelessly unable to get to safety. It is easy for the experts to warn against panicking. If you are unable to swim ashore, panic does grip you. Those that have gone through such an experience once are unlikely to experience it twice for they then take extra care when they go out swimming in places known for undercurrents.
The death of the two French tourists a few days ago brings the number of drownings so far this year to seven, all French, as it happens. This has prompted the idea of launching an information campaign specifically aimed at tourists, encouraging them to seek the advice of locals when they wish to swim in areas where there are no lifeguards or information panels that warn them of any dangerous spots.
It is not a bad idea, though there are guide books warning tourists of places where it can be dangerous to swim in rough weather. One such guide book, for instance, specifically tells tourists to turn to locals for advice. Juliet Rix, author of a guide book on Malta and Gozo, is spot on in her advice: “There are only two things likely to keep you out of the water in Malta: bad weather and jellyfish. It is highly inadvisable to swim off rocks when there are waves or even a significant swell – you might find yourself bashed against sharp edges or unable to get out of the water. Some beaches do have occasional rip currents... Some beaches have flags to indicate water conditions, others do not. Here you need to take local advice... so if there is nobody swimming, you might want to find out why...”
It goes without saying that an island that promotes itself as a tourist destination has to have an efficient search and rescue set-up. Limited as they are in their facilities, they do excellent work. At beachside level, maybe we ought to move a step ahead and, besides lifeguards, have rescue dinghies, manned by expert people, at the most popular places.
Knowing what the flags mean is important, as it is to swim in swimming zones and keep children under constant supervision. It is surprising how families inadvertently leave children out of sight at times at the seaside. Using an inflatable in a strong wind is dangerous. As it is to dive off cliffs, which youngsters still do, despite warnings of the damage this can cause to the spine.
Whatever safety precautions are taken on land and however efficient a search and rescue unit is, it is ultimately up to the individual to avoid incidents at sea.