SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Sep 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Red Cross in the Canary Islands has carried out 5,021 services on beaches between June 21 and September 15, a period in which it has deployed its resources in 49 beaches and swimming pools on the Canarian coast with 243 people including doctors, nurses, aquatic lifeguards and restrooms, and boat skippers.
Attention has been mainly sanitary (2,455), with an increase of 20 percent with respect to the season of the previous year (2,051). Likewise, 377 rescues of people, 188 transfers to hospitals and 5 rescues to boats have been carried out. In addition to the tasks of first aid and rescue, 69 lost minors have been treated and 1,927 people with disabilities or reduced mobility have been helped to enjoy the adapted bathroom.
Throughout the national territory, the Institution has registered this summer more than 55,000 attentions in 248 beaches and other bathing areas (swimming pools, swamps, lakes, rivers, etc.) thanks to its team made up of more than 1,000 professionals.
Although the summer campaign period lasts until September 15, in the Canary Islands the Red Cross is still present beyond this date in many bathing areas, especially in areas where due to the climate, tourism or the influx of public it is required. presence.
Specifically, in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Organization maintains surveillance and rescue services throughout the year on the beaches of Las Teresitas (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), Punta Larga, Caletillas, Guanches and Olegario (Candelaria), El Médano , El Chinchorro, Leocadio Machado, La Tejita and Montaña Roja (Granadilla), and Puerto Naos (Los Llanos de Aridane). In addition, on the beaches of El Socorro and El Puertito (Güímar), Charco Verde (Los Llanos de Aridane), La Maceta (Frontera), and La Nea, Radazul and Tabaiba beach and Tabaiba Natural pool (El Rosario) the coverage It lasts for a few more days or weeks.
Likewise, in the province of Las Palmas these services are maintained on the beaches of Las Canteras and La Cicer (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), Meloneras, Maspalomas, El Inglés, Las Burras and San Agustín (San Bartolomé de Tirajana) and Playa Blanca in Yaiza (Lanzarote).
At the same time, the beach staff also carry out an important task of raising awareness with preventive messages: these are indications that lifeguards give the population on foot. Only in this summer season there are 198,565 recommendations made on the islands to avoid heat stroke, digestion cuts or injuries caused by marine animals, among many other precautionary measures.
“Although the rescue part seems more important, prevention is essential”, highlights Miguel Ángel Sánchez, head of ‘Beaches’ at the Spanish Red Cross. “If we do not prevent people on the beach, there would be twice as many risk situations, and we would serve twice as many people.” In this line he emphasizes that “it is not that we only remember that they use protection, or that they do not bathe without a green flag; we also indicate the reasons why bathing is prohibited, because although it seems that the sea is calm and does not run The danger could be a forbidden zone, dangerous or the water could be contaminated “. In this way, he adds, “we are closer than ever to people, together with them, to be better also on the beach.”
Most of the health assistance is related to stings, sprains, dislocations and other cures, however, the environmental component is also part of the Red Cross intervention on Spanish beaches. Raising public awareness and mobilizing resources to collect plastics and clean beaches are other actions highlighted in the device. In this way, the Red Cross maintains the quality and environmental systems with ISO 9001/14001 certification for its ‘Beaches’ project, “which forces us to be in a situation of constant improvement”.
