By DAISY SAMPSON daisy.sampson@theresidentgroup.com
Albufeira Câmara has reacted to the problem of rock falls and potentially dangerous cliffs along the Algarve’s coastline by launching a beach safety campaign in both Portuguese and English, aimed at increasing awareness of the risks among beach goers.
“Find some safer shade … cliffs are not the answer” (Escolha a sombra mais segura, arribas não é opção) is the message being given to beach visitors as part of a campaign, which also includes information points, advice stands and leaflets.
A spokesman said: “We have some beautiful cliffs along the beaches of Albufeira but they can prove to be dangerous, especially following the harsh winter we have had which has left the cliffs more unstable than usual.”
Already this year a rock fall at Vau beach in Portimão led to the injury of a four-year old Irish boy, while last year the rock fall on Maria Luísa beach in Albufeira resulted in the deaths of five people on the beach (see the Algarve Resident edition August 26, 2009).
The Minister for the Environment, Dulce Pássaro, has also called for tougher laws to protect beach visitors across Portugal.
The leaflet alerts visitors to take responsibility for their own safety: “Despite the efforts made by the authorities to cut down risks, nature is unpredictable, so it is important that you take all due care as your safety is in your hands too.”
To help avoid accidents, the civil protection association of Albufeira has identified several risk factors involved in cliff accidents, which are detailed in the leaflet and include rapidly fluctuating water levels including heavy rain, erosion due to underground drainage and general weathering.
To combat these dangers, beach goers are advised to choose beaches with lifeguard facilities, stay away from the base of cliffs, obey danger signs and avoid parking on cliff tops.
All the risk factors and preventative measures are detailed in the warning leaflet, which also includes information about what to do in the case of an emergency and who to contact.
In conjunction with the release of the bilingual information leaflet about cliff risks, there will also be information points on various beaches in the council throughout July and August with Scouts offering advice on how to avoid possible dangers.
For further information about the campaign, or to download a version of the bilingual leaflet, please visit www.albufeira.pt
(website only available in Portuguese) and click on section Escolha a sombra mais segura, arribas não é opção.
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