Adeje holds open day for water safety experts as Tenerife sees a drowning for 3rd day in a row

[Janet]

With three drownings in just the last three days in Tenerife alone, there have now been thirty deaths in the seas around the Canaries so far this year, a statistic that has now doubled the deaths from drownings at this point in 2016. It's highly appropriate, therefore, that Adeje held an open day today in the Costa Adeje Tourism Development Centre in El Galeón for water safety experts from a range of municipalities and professionals.

Adeje councilor Ermitas Moreira said that the area has world-class water activities, whether sea-based, hotel pools or water parks. As such, Moreira explained, Adeje considers it essential that water safety is of the same standard as an institutionalised service, not just for visitors but also for residents too.

Also taking part in the event was the Consejo Superior de Normalización y seguridad integral en piscinas (CNorsip), whose president, Christian Bono Marelio, stressed that communication between all agencies involved in safety was key to risk prevention in both swimming pools and beaches. Also vital, he said, were constant updating of facilities and services, and the application of a system coordinated through the range of organizations and administrations involved in water safety.

In the course of the day, CNorsip and Forcen Canarias presented Ermitas Moreira with a certificate accrediting Adeje Ayuntaiento as a body "aware of and committed to prevention and safety in maritime areas" thanks to its efforts in prevention, training and organization of security and surveillance on the municipality's beaches.

The whole idea of institutionalising and coordinating water safety seems to be something of a recent concept but is no less welcome for that. The Canaries is looking towards the UK and France, and the Mediterranean coasts generally, as examples to follow, and given today's news about death rates so far this year being double those of 2016 – which itself was running at some points at double figures to 2015 – the impetus hasn't come a moment too soon. Adeje, once again, is in the forefront of it all.