Algarvean Tragedy

Following the tragedy here earlier in the week, I just want to show you why they close certain cove beaches here for the winter (normally October - March) and "don't have lifeguards on duty".

This is the picture of Praia do Tonel in The Telegraph (picture courtesy of The Telegraph on line) ...



And these are three pictures I took of the beach on a sunny Sunday afternoon in February ...







The large rock in the sea is where the accident occurred. Sometimes the tide comes in quite unexpectedly it seems and with force. Looking at my charts, at the time of the tragedy it was low tide that day of 1m, the high one coming in about 6.5 hours later was 3.3m. These beaches are accessed by paths, steps or rope ladders ... one way in and one way out.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that people should be aware of circumstances, especially when they are somewhere unfamiliar.

 

Lol, it was indeed a great tragedy, the irony of course is that all the children were washed ashore with just minor cuts and bruises. David.

 

A great tragedy indeed.

Reminisent of an incident in Blackpool in the eighties when a dog fell into the sea,the owner went in after it,three police officers went in to save the dog owner.All four sadly died.

Nature,so beautiful yet so immensely powerful, commands the total respect of man.

A sad time for all the families involved.

 

Evening, pip.

I remember that Blackpool incident, very sad indeed. As you don't go on Wakey, wakey often, this is what it brought back to my mind ...

"This incident has brought back unpleasant memories for me from 1989 when I had to repatriate a family from Guinea, West Africa, who died in a raging river incident. The 7 year old son got into the Land Rover parked at the edge of the river (I have visited the spot and it boggles the mind actually), released the handbrake and into the river it careened. The mother and father both jumped in whilst the teenage daughter and another family stood helplessly watching. The family and vehicle all went over a monstrous waterfall a hundred yards further along. We never found the father's body and the Land Rover was discovered many miles away.

I do not understand the mentality of parents who put their childrens' lives at risk in such situations, both the West African incident and this here yesterday."

I'm not a parent and some will say I have no right to say what I do, but parents have got to take control and be sensible and reasonable and, more importantly, responsible when children are involved.

Algarve is still under a black cloud because of Madeleine and now this (only a short distance away) and the main impetus seems to be more on there were no lifeguards on duty than responsibility of the parents ... the beach was closed ... why are children left unattended on strange wild beaches ... or alone when parents are at bars ...

 

I completely agree with what you say LoL parents have to take resposibility I saw some kids yesterday about 7or8 yrs old riding their bicycles one handed all over the road looking down texting, riding around at night no lights parents too thick to notice or can't be bothered until something happens then everybody else is to blame.

 

They were saying on the radio after the incident that there is often people being drowned on different beaches in the Algarve.I think they said a Dutch man got into difficulties last year and ended up having a heart attack :eek: but nothing got mentioned over here about it. They also said that this time of the year when the waves are quiet high that it attracts surfers and body borders but the swimmers wouldn't have realised that there was no swimming allowed if all the signs were in Portugese.It was also said that there are a lot of rip tides which hit people quiet suddenly.There was also mention of whirlpools that can drag people down,but don't quote me on any of this as it is just what I have heard on the radio

[ 28. October 2007, 12:55 PM: Message edited by: Kandyfloss ]