Heat waves follow one another at the beginning of August, but bathing sites are rare. Many municipalities in France are facing a shortage of lifeguards. In Indre-et-Loire, the town hall of Île-Bouchard had to ban swimming in the “La Plage” area, at the request of the prefecture. Indeed, like last summer, the municipality did not find anyone to monitor the natural bathing plan in the Vienne during this summer season 2022. According to the federation of lifeguards, there would be a shortage of 2,000 graduates throughout the French territory.
A dangerous river
Due to the current and sometimes unstable bottoms, the Vienne is a dangerous river, where accidents sometimes occur. A 35-year-old man drowned in Marcilly-sur-Vienne, in Sud-Touraine, on July 26. “The Vienne is a river that cannot be tamed. It is an obligation to prohibit swimming when there is still a certain danger and there is no one to supervise“, explains François de La Forcade, first deputy of the commune.
The mayor of Île-Bouchard, Nathalie Vigneau, claims to have multiplied the advertisements on the Internet and with the Pôle emploi agency to find a lifeguard. But the town hall did not receive any applications. “It is true that this is a site that requires great vigilance. For someone who has just graduated, it can be scary to be alone for a lifeguard on a natural site“, recognizes Nathalie Vigneau, who would like lifeguards to be more numerous and better trained.
Some residents of the town and the surrounding area, as well as holidaymakers, find it difficult to resist the temptation of a short bath in the cool water of the Vienne. Every day, several people continue to bathe despite the municipal decree. “I saw that there were people swimming, so I thought I could enjoy it too, without necessarily going very far in the Vienne, but at least swimming in the pool, then after taking a dip completely“, admits Ludivine, a vacationer near Île Bouchard.
There is very little chance that the municipality will find a lifeguard by the end of August. The municipality fears that the same scenario will now repeat itself every year.