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Public Health France launched a call for caution on Friday July 7 in the face of the risk of drowning: 84 people died in June while bathing. While the first vacationers have arrived on the beaches, the firefighters are renewing their advice.
When asked, vacationers say they are wary of the dangers of the sea. The risks are numerous, and not always known. “We have sandbanks, sand that is really specific to this municipality. This means that depending on the currents, the waves, the wind, the currents form between the sandbanks”explains in particular Vincent Lippi, lifeguard and head of the first aid station in Canet-en-Roussillon (Pyrénées-Orientales).
closed lakes
Precautionary measures are not always applied. “As a general rule, boaters have their vest on board, but do not put their vest on”, observes Gilles Fourage, vice-president of SNSM Lancieux (Côtes-d’Armor). Underestimated depth, hydrocution or fatigue: in this small town alone, rescuers intervened 55 times in 2022. Vigilance is also required in lakes, such as in Muret (Haute-Garonne). For lack of staff to monitor, some will remain closed during the summer.