Ocean Currents

Every year, a high number of drownings occur on our beaches, especially during the summer season, despite the vigilance of increasingly professional and well-equipped lifeguard services, both in training and resources.

The case I'm about to share took place on one of our wonderful northern peninsula beaches, classified as urban due to its location behind a small industrial city.

This popular horseshoe-shaped beach, over 2 km long and wide with fine sand, surrounded by a promenade, is a favorite among surf lovers due to its internal currents.

During the summer, the entire beach is supervised, with several areas marked for swimming. The rest of the year, this service is not available (in accordance with the Coastal Law).

On one of the clear, sunny days last April, a middle-aged tourist decided to take a harmless walk along the shore. While wetting his feet and enjoying the calm sea and gentle wind, he suddenly sank into the sand, falling into a hole of his height, and was dragged out to sea by the tide. He was returned to shore, drowned, a few minutes later.

It is crucial for everyone to understand the risks of beaches with currents, where we might have swum at some point. One characteristic of these currents is that they create underground cavities, sometimes near the shore, invisible to the human eye. You could be walking along the shore and fall into one of these "pots," especially dangerous if it coincides with a strong current at the time.

During my investigation, I spoke with two witnesses. One, an experienced surfer, informed us that the beach's strong currents are well-known, yet it remains unmarked. He mentioned that in Portugal, it is common to place signs in the sand of beaches warning of current risks. I have yet to see any beach marked like this here. Have you?

Conclusion:–Always inform yourself about the characteristics of an unfamiliar beach, as something as harmless and pleasant as a walk along the shore can end very badly.

Alberto Garom