A pilot program undertaken by the Tourism Board of Costa Rica (Spanish initials: ICT) and the Red Cross aims to post lifeguard crews at Manuel Antonio and six other beaches during the high tourist season and other periods that feature high numbers of visitors.

Aside from Manuel Antonio, five other popular beaches on the Gold Coast (the Pacific) will be watched by lifeguards: Playa Ballena, Esterillos, Jaco Beach, Puntarenas, and Tamarindo Beach. In the Caribbean region, Playa Bonita will also be guarded. Some of these beaches are also known for their high concentrations of expat residents.

According to a news report filed by Manuel Avendaño of national newspaper La Nacion, the plan is to provide adequate lifeguard crews from December to April, which are the busiest months in terms of foreign visitors. Other periods being considered by ICT and the Red Cross include the mid-year school break and during Semana Santa (From Palm Sunday to Easter).

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, the highest number of drownings and other aquatic accidents involving foreign visitors is between January and April, and the number increases parallel to tourism growth. In 2013, the medical examiner section of the Office of Judicial Investigations (Spanish initials: OIJ) reported 28 drownings during the aforementioned period; in 2014, the figure climbed to 39.

Rip currents in the Pacific Ocean play a major factor in these aquatic accidents. It so happens that some of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica are located in Pacific coastal areas known for their strong rip currents and unpredictable surf. The ICT will make a $40,000 annual investment towards the purchase of equipment to be used by Red Cross lifeguards and aquatic rescue units, who will also train alongside the National Coast Guard Service of Costa Rica.