Swim at Your Own Risk
A beach flying a blue flag is a special distinction. It means that beach has certain qualities that make it a decent, healthy, and safe place to spend a day in the sun. There are beaches with blue flags all over the world, with the most in Europe. Of those, Spain is the country with the most blue flags, even though it does not have the most coastline. Within Spain, Galicia is the region with the highest number of blue flags. But, this year some of those beaches have lost their flag, because one of the requisites is that there be a life guard. Too many beaches don't have life guards this year.
Once upon a time, anyone who knew how to swim and had some knowledge of first aid could become a life guard. In 2012 the law changed. It stated that by 2017 all life guards had to complete a course of 340 hours in which they had to learn how to become a professional life guard, pass a rigorous physical exam, and be inscribed in the association of professional life guards. The courses can reach a total cost of around €1,500, and are not imparted everywhere, all the time; there are waiting lists. In Galicia, most townships hire lifeguards from 1 July to 1 September, some, very few, from 1 June. Life guards can be paid from €700 to €1,100 a month. Once the summer ends, the season ends. There are swimming pools that have life guards year round and hire extras only in summer, but not every township has one. Ever since that new law came into effect, it's not worth the time and money necessary to become a professional life guard if the rest of the year one has to work at a totally different job, which might even pay more.
So, faced with the inability to hire life guards that have complied with the law, some beaches have had their blue flags removed. That, however, does not detract from most of the attractiveness of the beach. The waters are still clean, there is still handicapped accessibility, and there will always be trash cans, etc. But, if there is a strong current, and a weak swimmer gets caught in it, he better pray that some of the other beach goers are versed in rescuing people from the sea, because there is no life guard.
As a consequence, there have been a large number of drownings this summer. In all of Spain, 264 people have drowned in pools, rivers, and at beaches. Forty-six of those have died in Galicia, the region with the most drownings till now. Around 70 beaches that have always had a life guard now find themselves abandoned to the mercy of random angels that will jump in to save someone, and risk losing their own lives in the process.
The law regulating the preparation of a possible life guard is understandable. But the price of most of the courses, and the eventual salaries they will be paid, are not. Someone who goes through the preparation pays more than what they will earn in one month. And they will work two months, three at the most. And it's not enough to do the course once. A registered life guard has to renew his license every four years, paying each time. It's simply seen as not worth it for a summer job. And, as is becoming all too common, the lack of a decent salary ends up endangering lives.
Once upon a time, anyone who knew how to swim and had some knowledge of first aid could become a life guard. In 2012 the law changed. It stated that by 2017 all life guards had to complete a course of 340 hours in which they had to learn how to become a professional life guard, pass a rigorous physical exam, and be inscribed in the association of professional life guards. The courses can reach a total cost of around €1,500, and are not imparted everywhere, all the time; there are waiting lists. In Galicia, most townships hire lifeguards from 1 July to 1 September, some, very few, from 1 June. Life guards can be paid from €700 to €1,100 a month. Once the summer ends, the season ends. There are swimming pools that have life guards year round and hire extras only in summer, but not every township has one. Ever since that new law came into effect, it's not worth the time and money necessary to become a professional life guard if the rest of the year one has to work at a totally different job, which might even pay more.
So, faced with the inability to hire life guards that have complied with the law, some beaches have had their blue flags removed. That, however, does not detract from most of the attractiveness of the beach. The waters are still clean, there is still handicapped accessibility, and there will always be trash cans, etc. But, if there is a strong current, and a weak swimmer gets caught in it, he better pray that some of the other beach goers are versed in rescuing people from the sea, because there is no life guard.
As a consequence, there have been a large number of drownings this summer. In all of Spain, 264 people have drowned in pools, rivers, and at beaches. Forty-six of those have died in Galicia, the region with the most drownings till now. Around 70 beaches that have always had a life guard now find themselves abandoned to the mercy of random angels that will jump in to save someone, and risk losing their own lives in the process.
The law regulating the preparation of a possible life guard is understandable. But the price of most of the courses, and the eventual salaries they will be paid, are not. Someone who goes through the preparation pays more than what they will earn in one month. And they will work two months, three at the most. And it's not enough to do the course once. A registered life guard has to renew his license every four years, paying each time. It's simply seen as not worth it for a summer job. And, as is becoming all too common, the lack of a decent salary ends up endangering lives.
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