17 rescued from La Manga waters after red flags ignored
Several people were caught by strong currents over the weekend, with some rescued hundreds of metres from the shore
Seventeen people had to be rescued from the sea in La Manga on Sunday August 16 after entering areas marked with red flags warning of dangerous currents.
The incidents happened at Galúa and Entremares, where the main beach warning was yellow, allowing people to swim with caution. However, sections of the beaches had been closed for swimming because of the conditions, with red flags marking areas where currents were making the water particularly dangerous.
Protection Civil teams were called into action several times during the afternoon. In some cases, the Policía Local also had to attend after people refused to leave the areas marked as off limits.
The people rescued ranged in age from 9 to 56, with some being pulled from the water between 25 and 60 metres from the shore at Entremares. Two 23-year-olds were also rescued at Galúa after getting around 40 metres from the beach. Several paddle surfers also found themselves in trouble.
At Cala del Barco, three people aged 25, 23 and 25 were around 300 metres from the coast and unable to get back by themselves. A Salvamento boat from Entremares was sent to bring them safely back to shore.
Two more people, aged 30 and 31, got into difficulties at Cala Reona after being carried around 300 metres offshore on a paddle board. They were also rescued by a Salvamento boat.
The rescues came during one of the busiest periods of the summer, with more people heading to the coast for the second half of August and the bank holiday.
The latest figures from Cartagena's beach safety operation show that there have been 6,316 interventions between June 1 and August 17. The majority involved first aid and medical assistance, with 4,355 cases recorded.
Allergies were by far the most common reason for medical attention, accounting for 2,930 cases, while there were also 744 interventions for marine animal stings and 540 for wounds.
There have been 136 rescue and emergency interventions so far this summer, including 92 involving people.
Local officials are reminding people not to ignore the beach flags, particularly when strong currents are making it difficult to get back to shore. A red flag means it's time to stay out of the water, while entering a closed-off area can also put lifeguards in danger if they have to go in and rescue someone.
The beach safety service will continue until October 12, with more than 100 professionals working along the Cartagena coastline throughout the summer.
Image: Seguridad y Emergencias Cartagena
