No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaTourism Board invests $1.5 million in lifeguard program for Costa Rican beaches

Tourism Board invests $1.5 million in lifeguard program for Costa Rican beaches

Costa Rica plans to make its beaches safer with a $500,000 annual investment between 2020 and 2022 to establish lifeguard programs at the country’s most dangerous beaches.

The Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) is also partnering with the Red Cross to place lifeguards this year at Manuel Antonio Beach and Ballena Beach in Puntarenas province, and at Cocles-Manzanillo Beach in Limón, Casa Presidencial announced.

ICT hopes the multi-year investment, in addition to partnerships with local governments and the private sector, will lead to permanent establishment of lifeguards across the country.

“Allocating a greater amount of resources for a lifeguard program will improve the response capacity to address the different incidents involving bathers, actions that directly affect the international image of Costa Rica as a safe tourist destination,” said María Amalia Revelo, the Minister of Tourism.

In 2018, 129 people drowned in Costa Rica, according to Judicial Investigation Police (OIJ). Of those, 54 drowned in a river and 51 in the ocean. Nearly half of the total deaths occurred in Puntarenas province, which contains the popular beach destinations of Jacó, Manuel Antonio and Santa Teresa, among many others.

Casa Presidencial cited a Hispanoamérican University study that says 2,981 people lost their lives in the ocean, river, pond or a pool in Costa Rica between 1990 and 2014, an average of 124 people annually.

In recent years, ICT has installed signs on at least 100 beaches across Costa Rica warning of riptides. The Costa Rican Tourism Board also recently launched a tourist safety campaign that includes water-safety tips displayed at the country’s international airports.

More than 70% of tourists to Costa Rica visit a beach, according to ICT.


This story was made possible thanks to The Tico Times 5% Club. If only 5 percent of our readers donated at least $5 a month, we’d have our operating costs covered and could focus on bringing you more original reporting from around Costa Rica. We work hard to keep our reporting independent and groundbreaking, but we can only do it with your help. Join The Tico Times 5% Club and help make stories like this one possible.

Support the Tico Timesc

Trending Now

Starbucks Honors Costa Rica’s Coffee Roots in October Festivities

Coffee runs deep in our veins, a tradition that started in the 1700s and shapes our country's economy and culture today. This October, Starbucks...

Riu Guanacaste Hotel Reopens in Costa Rica After Renovation

The Riu Guanacaste hotel in Costa Rica has reopened after a complete renovation, welcoming guests back to its beachfront spot on Matapalo Beach. The...

Costa Rica Updates National ID Card with Enhanced Security Features

Costa Rica's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) rolled out a redesigned physical identity card today. The update focuses on better protection against fraud while keeping...

Costa Rica’s Hyatt Centric Escazú Finalist in GRI Awards

Costa Rica's hotel scene keeps building momentum on the global stage. The Hyatt Centric San José Escazú stands out as a finalist for Best...

Costa Rica Coast Guard Seizes Illegal Gillnets in Protected Refuge

Costa Rican Coast Guard officers pulled nearly a kilometer of illegal gillnets from protected waters in the Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge during...

Costa Rica Proposes Date for Chaves Immunity Review

Costa Rica's lawmakers took a step forward today in addressing the latest push to strip President Rodrigo Chaves of his legal protections. The Legislative...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica