“It would have been a tough pill to swallow to have a hotel next to a serviceable beach where people will go and swim and they have a drowning there despite their foolishness,” said Mr Zebalon McLean. Photo: GIS/File

The call for improved lifeguard situation in the Virgin Islands continues to be a platform call by head lifeguard Mr Mark Street. Photo: VINO/File

Three almost drown in raging waters at Lambert's Beach yesterday February 18, 2015. Photo: VINO

“It would have been a tough pill to swallow to have a hotel next to a serviceable beach where people will go and swim and they have a drowning there despite their foolishness,” he said.

Yesterday February 18, 2015 lifeguard Mark Street and the Fire and Rescue Department responded to a red alert call which indicated that there was a serious situation of three men trapped in the sea waters at Lambert’s Beach. By the time they got there two had waded to safety but one was left struggling.

In relating the incident of yesterday Mr McLean explained, “There were 12 to 14 feet swells at Lambert Estate, with big whole red flags flying high that indicate no swimming of any kind should be happening but three tourists decided to go in for a swim. They got caught in a bit of a current that pulled them along for maybe close to 800ft parallel to the shore. Two of them managed to find a break in the tide and struggled their way and made it to the shore with some assistance. Another gentleman… he was slowly becoming fatigued and couldn’t quite make his way in. Eventually the head lifeguard Mr Mark Street and the employees of the hotel managed to use ropes and a couple of flotation devices to get to him and to bring him to shore and that was done in nick of time because he was tiring terribly. Maybe about five more minutes and it would have been a different story.”

The man is believed to be in his mid-30s. It was not quite clear of the men were guests at Lambert’s Estate or if they were tourists that would have come in on the cruise ship. “If you had looked from the top of Mount Sage you would have seen how high the waves were, that is no place to go for swimming and they were not surfers,” said the Fire Chief.

It is believed that as the trapped man saw the rescue team coming towards him he had gotten some level of hope as it was reported that the tide was not prepared to give in. “It was very difficult for him,” said Mr McLean.

One of the reasons why the rescue was particularly dangerous, according to Mr McLean, was because of the fact that the lifeguards’ presence was not as prevalent as it should be. “The same Mark Street has made several recommendations to the government for many years not only to expand the complement of lifeguards [but also] to try as best to have some kind of coverage on the beach because we are a tourism destination and they will be going to the beaches and it’s not just the tourists coming off the cruise ship but also the tourist in the hotels as well,” said Mr McLean.

In appealing to tourists and other beach goers Mr McLean reiterated, “When you get to the beaches you must pay attention to all the signs that are left there by the lifeguards, look at the flags, read the corresponding sections that indicate what the flag is trying to tell you and if the water is rough do not go into the water especially, especially on the Northern shores.”

As it relates to the real life story told by Mr McLean earlier, he said that by the time Fire and Rescue got to the scene, having responded to the call two of the men had already left the scene.

Persons in the area where the breathtaking event took place yesterday said that the previous day persons had to rescue a would-be surfer who had been trapped by similar waves. They too appealed for more lifeguards noting that countless times ordinary residents have to risk their lives to save persons on the beaches, be it rough swells or calm swimming waters.