Los Cabos Tourists Urged To Follow Beach Safety Advice After Recent Rescues

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Last Updated 6 months ago

Most people choose Los Cabos for their holidays due to the many breathtaking beaches characterizing this municipality.

From El Medano to El Chileno and Lover’s Beach, visitors here are spoiled for choices.

But are these areas safe?

Los Cabos has recently received lots of media attention due to an incident that saw two elderly Americans almost being swept away by the strong waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Here is everything you need to know about this event:

What happened?

The incident took place on Friday the 29th when two elderly American tourists were suddenly swept away by a powerful wave on the popular Costa Azul beach in San José del Cabo.

A video shows the couple fighting to reach the beach while four elements of the National Guard promptly intervene to provide help.

According to local news, the incident took place in the morning, around 10:00 am. 

The lifeguards first rescued the woman and then provided help to her husband.

Luckily, the two American tourists have recovered fully from the experience.

New recommendations

In light of these recent events, the local authorities have decided to issue a new set of recommendations everyone is advised to follow to avoid dangerous situations.

First of all, people are asked to avoid entering the sea during high tide conditions.

While this advice is often underestimated, local lifeguards strongly believe it is essential to avoid incidents.

The National Guard also asks tourists to check water conditions always by paying attention to the power of the waves and the weather forecasts before entering the sea.

This can be done by checking local warning signs. For instance, in case of dangerous sea conditions, local lifeguards always place yellow, red, black, and white flags on the shore.

On top of these, visitors should never swim alone and should always stay close to the shore. Lifeguards also report that plenty of people tend to overestimate their swimming skills, resulting in tragic incidents.

According to the National Guards, rip currents are another important factor to consider.

These flow from the shore into the sea and can carry even the most experienced swimmer out in the open ocean.

If you find yourself caught in one, experts recommend swimming parallel to the shore in order to get out instead of following your instinct and trying to swim directly to the beach.

Lastly, parents are always asked to monitor their children closely while all tourists are advised to educate themselves on basic water self-rescue techniques and avoid alcohol and other illegal substances before entering the sea.

Is Los Cabos safe? 

Considering this recent rescue, Americans heading to Los Cabos soon may now be wondering whether this area is safe for bathers.

Luckily, the answer is yes. 

The local government has always prioritized beach safety by regularly implementing new safety measures to better protect tourists. 

For instance, just a few days ago, the Director of the Tax Inspection in Los Cabos, Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez, declared that the local government decided to increase surveillance of the most popular beaches in the municipality. 

This was done for two main reasons.

First of all, to crack down on unauthorized street vendors known for selling fake tours and tickets to foreigners, and second, to ensure no minors will be forced to work on Los Cabos beaches. 

Commenting on this issue, Luis Ovidio Marroquín Gómez stated: So far this year we have drawn up 15 reports on minors, which have been handed over to the police (…).”

He later specified: “We must work hand in hand with all the institutions to prevent the hawking of minors; although we are overwhelmed with street vendors who do not have a permit, there are also minors selling.”

On top of this, the local government is now also carrying out extra cleaning activities to make sure no bathers get hurt while walking barefoot on the sand due to broken glass or other sharp objects.