Costa Rica now has a law that dictates how to implement lifeguard units in national beaches and also creates the National Commission for the Prevention and Attention of Drownings, with the purpose of offering safety and protecting the live and integrity of those that vacation and enjoy the coasts.

Law 9780 “Implementation of lifeguard units in national beaches” was signed this week by members of the Costa Rican government and with the presence of Sharon Day, US Ambassador to Costa Rica and the national director of Risk Management of the Red Cross, Jim Batres, and others.

“The guarantee of having safe zones allows us to strengthen the image of the country and promote the tourism industry through the prevention, attention and mitigation of risks”, commented Marvin Rodrguez, Vice-President of Costa Rica.

The National Commission for the Prevention and Attention of Drownings as a technical organ attached to the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) will be formed by the ministries of Tourism, Security and Health, a well as the Red Cross, the National Tourism Chamber, civil organizations and coastal municipalities. This institution will be in charge of dictating the general regulations for the prevention and attention of immersion accidents, the minimum requirements for the implementation of lifeguard units and also the creation of a listing of national beaches according to their level of danger and the proper way to prevent visitors on the conditions of each beach.

“With the implementation of this Law, the Government along with other institutions aims to prevent deaths by immersion and seeks to strengthen the image of the country and the tourism industry”, said Maria Amalia Revelo, Minister of Tourism.

According to Jim Batres, national director of Risk Management of the Red Cross, during the last four months a total of 21,140 preventive actions have taken place in just 5 beaches.

ICT signed an agreement with the Red Cross earlier this year to improve the response time and attention to those that visit the beaches.The agreement included over $264 thousand USD in funding that allowed the hiring of 20 certified lifeguards for six months for Manuel Antonio beach, Ballena and Cocles-Manzanillo, beaches of high visitation and a high risk of drowning accidents. It also included a budget of over $1.5 million USD to expand he lifeguard program.