Caution is advised for those who want to take advantage of the return of the sun in the South-West to go to the beach. The coastline of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region has been placed on
“maximum alert”
for the risk of the formation of baïnes, sources of dangerous sea currents for swimmers, the region's prefecture announced this Friday.
All the beaches of four Neo-Aquitaine departments (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes, Gironde and Charente-Maritime) are affected by this
“maximum risk day”
, specified the prefecture, which calls on swimmers to stay
“between the flags of the monitored posts
.
Six drowned during the last summer season
Natural swimming pools of innocuous appearance, baïnes are responsible for several drownings each year. They form between the beach and a sandbank but their strong currents can quickly carry them out to sea. During the last summer season, six bathers died in bathers in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, according to authorities.
Furthermore, in Gironde, the entry and exit of pleasure craft into the Arcachon basin has been temporarily banned by the authorities due to
“exceptional risks for navigation”
.
The successive storms of recent months have led to “profound modifications of the sandbanks” at the level of the passes connecting the Arcachon basin and the Atlantic Ocean, explained the prefecture. While it takes time to carry out new depth measurements, navigation in these passes is reserved for professional vessels and rescue equipment.