After a campaign has launched to ensure better beach safety in Dubai, the civic body’s warning comes as part of a social media awareness campaign.
The move follows recent cases of drowning reported in Dubai, including that of an Indian man who drowned while swimming in Umm Suqeim in the early hours of last Friday.
The municipality this weekend took to social media to publicize the instructions to be obeyed while swimming in the open beaches.
As the foremost instruction, it asked the public not to swim after sunset. Dubai Police had in the past made a similar appeal to the public, pointing out that the possibility of drowning is higher when people swim in the dark.
The municipality also warned swimmers against venturing into water when the red flag is raised during bad weather conditions.
When the yellow flag is raised, people should swim with caution and follow the lifeguards’ instructions, it noted.
Swimmers are also advised not to swim close to the rocks or outside the safe zone. In most of the open beaches in Dubai, areas for swimming have been marked through floating buoys and ropes. Swimming past these limits can invite trouble.
The civic body has also reminded beachgoers that children are the responsibility of the accompanying adults.
In other posts on social media, the civic body said it has “an efficient staff that consists of 60 rescuers” assigned to cover the five beach areas dedicated for swimming in Al Mamzar Beach Park. Ten of them are women.
Additionally, the municipality recently launched the region’s first robot lifeguard, which is shaped like a boat and maneuvered by remote control, to provide high-speed assistance in rescuing swimmers from drowning.
