AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye swimming safety

I agree that something should be done but I am not sure what. Just because we half ass tried something 5 years ago it should not mean that we don't try again. If we took that frame of mind nothing would ever get done here.

Elbert not sure what you post was suppose to mean but since about 90% of all visitors to the Island are Americans it would stand to reason that 90% of all accidents will happen to them. Besides what does that have to do with having a designated swim area.

This town and the residents on this message board need to stop criticizing the visitors to this island and we need to ensure that the proper information is being provided to them. This will allow them to have a safe and enjoyable experience here, that will in turn make them tell other people about what a great destination this is.

The I told you so mentality is the worst thing that could happen. Stand up say something and if nobody listens then speak louder and get other people to speak up with you.

Not sure who is guiltier the tourists or the people that knew this would happen and yet did nothing about it other than simply wait for it to happen so that they could post an I told you so on the message board.

Anybody knows how the people are presently doing,

Before Elbert should question the intelligence of the tourist, after all we don't give them a test and require a license we only require they bring their money, we should take a look in the mirror and question the actions of those licensed boat captains, taxi drivers and other vehicle drivers on the island. I have witnessed boat drivers often speeding too close to proximity of docks and the shore. We all have seen the dangerous speeding of vehicles on the island.
The facts of this incident will come out and until then it is not possible to say who is to blame. But I am afraid that the actions of local people are more of a threat to safety and than the actions of tourists when one looks at the total picture.
If Elbert can be paid to teach tourists how to dive safely, he and others should take the time to advise tourists how to have a safe vacation. I doubt if he questions the intelligence of his customers before he accepts their money.
The first objective should be to assure the tourists are not put in danger due to unsafe practices of those providing the services they come here for. Then part of those services should be to inform the tourist on how to have a safe vacation.
I am not in favor of altering the landscape to provide safety before insuring the behavior of all the people using it are doing so in a safe manner.

I have witnessed near misses all over the place, from boats barely missing swimmers around the coastal ferry dock, to pedestrians (myself included) having to physically leap out of the way of speeding taxis while on the sidewalk around Tropic Air (seems to be especially bad at night), cyclists rounding curves on the wrong side of the road, unsecured children and even infants bouncing around on the back of golf carts (this really freaks me out!).

IMO, those "Dumb American" tourists have an excuse - they are on vacation. We (all stakeholders) need to do a better job of educating / protecting them from harm...

How to educate / protect those other than tourists? Can you fix stupid?

Simon
Where is this large area dredged in front of the school . I see some people on the weekends standing in knee deep water in front of the school . Is that what you mean dredged ? Tourists and locals will swim or wade out as far as they have to to get to water deep enough to enjoy. That's just the way it is . Only here on the beach side of the island we put,docks and extended piers and boats , and gas stations ,then you wonder WHY people swim out beyond all that to cool off in the water . It's a bad combination .We need to have areas for swimming ONLY ,no boats .Rope it off make it safe for whom ever wants to use it .

In defence of tourists, the fact is that in most places where tourists likely have been before the popular beaches are reserved for swimming and boats are not typically a threat to swimmers or snorkelers.

Take for instance the beaches of Florida or most of the U.S. East Coast or Gulf Coast, or even most beaches in Yucatán and the Caribbean islands -- boats (except maybe jet skis) don't usually come into popular beaches.

The barrier reef and the water depth and conditions in Belize, and the fact that there really aren't areas designated specifically for swimming beaches, especially off Ambergris and Caulker, make the situation different. Tourists just aren't aware of the differences, nor should they be expected to be aware.

Perhaps it's time the BTB or local governments came up with warning posters and signs that hotels in beach resort areas would post in the hotels and on beaches and docks?

The guidebooks I do and most other guidebooks to Belize warn readers about swimming or snorkeling in boating lanes, but many people don't use guidebooks or if they do don't remember all the details.

Fact is, conditions off San Pedro and boating customs, while not unique in the world, are quite unusual and first-time visitors to the island may not be aware of that.

--Lan Sluder

Lan
Thank you for your comments .Since the docks are here and the boats already travel where they please , area's roped off where it is safe to swim would seem to make sense . In the States and Europe and Australia and most of the Caribbean there are designated areas for swimming , and when people come here there are not areas safe for people to swim at . It is an island and people are going to swim . Snorkeling and diving are different issues . People can be taken out by boat to those destinations , but swimming off the beach in safety IS one thing that San Pedro is in desperate need in addressing . Some markers and roped off areas like lake front areas do in the States would seem like an easy fix. Have a list of designated swimming areas available ,so all could be aware that these have been set aside for everyone's enjoyment .

Although the investigation report of this tragic incident is still forthcoming, I think it's appropriate to enter this excerpt from Ambergris Today for everyone's consideration, I also think its important to recognise that visitors to the island and people not used to living and working on the water do not see the waters of the inner reef for the roads or freeways they are.

"A honeymoon vacation for a couple of tourists in San Pedro ends abruptly in a horrific accident at sea that has left one man without his lower right leg and a woman suffering from lacerations to her wrist after a water taxi runs them over while they enjoyed an afternoon of snorkeling, on Friday, September 16, 2011.

It was the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi's mid-day run from Caye Caulker to San Pedro that was involved in this horrific accident that occurred just a couple of miles from the water taxi's terminal in downtown San Pedro. A passenger aboard the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi told Ambergris Today that the passengers and crew members were terrified to learn that the vessel had just run over a couple of people just after feeling and hearing a loud thump on the boat. The 38-foot, three outboard motor engine vessel had just run over the couple.

Apparently the captain of the boat was not able to see two tourists who were snorkeling out from shore in the busy and heavily trafficked water lane of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. This took place in front of Carib Island Resort between 11:45a.m. and 12:15p.m. The water taxi ran over Rob Leonard, 31, and Dana Sniflet, 32, amputating Rob just above the knee of his right leg and injuring Jane on her wrist. Passengers on the boat indicate that the water taxi was not travelling close to the piers and was far from shore, on its usual course.

Contrary to other reports, the Captain of the San Pedro Belize Express vessel immediately circled around to render assistance. This is according to passengers on the water taxi. By the time they had circled around, another vessel of the Caye Caulker Water Taxi had already rendered assistance to the badly injured tourists.

Ambergris Today, September 16, 2011 - 15:09 "


Diane's comment about how she would hate to injure someone should certainly be on our minds as well.

Whenever any of us travel to other destinations we don't always know the customs, traditions, the safe areas, the danger zones or what treacherous conditions we may confront. We are forced to do our own research and trust the licensed tour guides, hotels, and laws to protect us.

Here in Belize it is our duty as tourism service providers to keep our visitors as safe and comfortable as possible. Furthermore we must be trained to handle emergency situations calmly and efficiently.

We want (need) tourist dollars, we must keep our tourists safe.

Yes from time to time people do some very dumb things, especially when drinking - but as a community we still need to have some compassion and help out when we can. I told you so and finger pointing does not help in any situation.

Many of our guests have never travelled to a foreign land before, they are overwhelmed and bewildered with the beauty and the freedom and the wildness of the country - and they are blissfully unaware of the dangers - it is our duty to allow them to enjoy the wonders without venturing into serious danger - or at least warn them when they are taking risks so that they can calculate what degree of danger they wish to undertake.

So many people find Belize to be peaceful and they meet friendly, warm hearted people. They are lulled into a false sense of security and serenity - they forget that in every society there are also criminals.

Let's all get proactive in protecting our guests from danger, perhaps without scaring them to the point that they choose not to visit.

Swimming areas = swimming pools and snorkel trips to the reef. I wish Belize would stop trying to make it into everything for everybody. The marine system is not conducive to nice beaches and clean sand bottom swimming areas. Keep the turtle grass and marine vegetation intact. Leave the ecosystem to produce and sustain what nature intended it to. Use it for what it is and the beauty it provides. Don't try to change it.