More efforts needed to minimize drownings

In over the past five years, there have been a handful of reports of drownings at least once or twice a month. Most of these reports show that the people who drown in famous attraction spots such as Forbidden Island, Laolao Bay, and the Grotto are usually tourists.

On May 7, there was a report of a 61-year old Chinese female who drowned at the Grotto after being stuck under a rock when a wave hit her. A month prior to that, on April 18, a 53-year-old Japanese male drowned while diving at Laolao Bay. The 53-year-old panicked and removed the breathing regulator. There are other tourists at Forbidden Island and Laolao Bay that have also drowned in January, February, and March; all in the same year.

Putting all of these reports into serious account, it is important to ensure that these spots are safe for tourists and locals to visit. The Grotto may be a popular diving place, but it is highly dangerous for people to casually swim in. The 61-year-old Chinese female was simply crossing the water to get over a big rock but, unfortunately, a gigantic wave hit her and pushed her under the rock due to the powerful current. More hazard warnings must be placed around popular attractions where accidents are likely to happen if visitors are not cautious.

If the drownings at these spots are just swept under the rug, the problems will worsen over time. With more headlines of drownings making the news, tourists and locals alike will feel dissuaded from visiting attraction spots as they will fear the hazards these spots pose. The popularity of these spots will go down, making our tourist visit these spots less often. Saipan losing its tourists will harm our economy greatly, as our economy depends on our tourists and visitors.

A great way to alleviate the problems of these drownings is to enforce stricter rules and regulations in these areas. It may affect the viewer’s experience, but safety is always a top priority when it comes to places like these. Another is to extend boundaries as to where people could not cross. A good example would be the Grotto, where you cannot trespass past the big rocks, unless you are a diver with an instructor or supervisor with you. Tour guides are also a great solution to lessening these problems. Many tourists tend to make reckless decisions, which could lead them to great danger. A tour guide who has great familiarity with the locations will prevent situations like these from happening. Although these won’t completely get rid of the problem, they will at least reduce the number of drownings.

Angel Legaspi
Koblerville, Saipan