by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:15 AM ET, Fri March 15, 2024
Following recent drownings in Cancun, Riviera Maya beaches will be getting more lifeguards ahead of the busy spring break travel season.
According to Riviera Maya News, Civil Protection for Cancun will be hiring at least ten additional lifeguards, added to the thirty currently operating around the beaches in Cancun. The director, Antonio Riveroll Ribbon, also mentioned extending lifeguard hours past 5:00 p.m., the typical time when lifeguard shifts end.
The announcement was made following the drowning deaths of two construction workers working in Cancun, who both drowned on March 11 after they were pulled out to sea at Playa Gaviota Azul. They were both saved by lifeguards and given immediate medical attention, but they could not be revived.
Cancun’s top three beaches for swimming accidents and drownings are Playa Marlin, Playa Gaviota Azul and Playa Delfines, due to strong currents.
Riptides are more common at these beaches than at others; despite what may look like calm waters, riptides can easily take unsuspecting swimmers far from the beach, and they’re nearly impossible to swim out of directly.
Instead, it’s recommended that if you’re caught in a riptide to swim parallel to the beach until you swim out of the riptide’s dangerous current, then swim at an angle until you reach the beach.
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