REPORTING on its safety and accident prevention campaign for this year, the Red Cross said yesterday that it has attended to more than 41'000 people on Balearic beaches so far this summer.
Concerned that people become aware of the risks of unprotected sunbathing, and of swimming out of their depth, the Red Cross said that as part of its Look After Yourself This Summer promotion, 8'210 people were given First Aid, 148 were rescued whilst boating or swimming, and 15'216 requests for information were dealt with on medical centres, the temperature of the water and the meaning of the different flag colours on the beaches. The remainder of Red Cross activity consisted of taking precautionary measures for the health and wellbeing of the public.
The Red Cross confirmed that 133 people had been ferried by ambulance to hospital after beach or bathing accidents. At the end of August five people had drowned this summer.