Strong currents claim six lives in two days on Romanian seaside

Six tourists have died in the past two days after being caught in strong currents near the Romanian seaside resorts of Mamaia, Venus, and Costinești. Another four tourists have been hospitalized. Authorities are urging people not to enter the water when the red flag is raised.

The lifeguards on the seaside have recently had their hands full trying to convince people to stay out of the water. According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), seven people were caught by the strong currents and taken out to sea on Monday alone, and four of them could no longer be saved. Two others lost their lives on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, there was a yellow wind warning on the Romanian Black Sea coast, and swimming was prohibited.

The head of the Department for Emergency Situations, Raed Arafat, is proposing fines for those who do not follow the lifeguards' recommendations.

"Fines can be issued, but how can you fine hundreds or even thousands of people in the water? You can't identify them, so the fine might not work. Instead, we can deter tourists from entering the water through repeated information,” Vasile Borteș, a lifeguard in the Neptun-Mangalia area, told Euronews. Tourists don’t realize the seriousness of the situation until it is too late, he says.

“You're not allowed to leave your little children with floating devices, that's a sure death. The currents take them away. You see that on a red flag day, during a storm, the currents that are usually extremely dangerous appear,” Borteș added. He says that lifeguards risk their lives to save people who refuse to follow the rules.

In related news, Digi24 reported that tensions ran high and a fight broke out between lifeguards and a few dissatisfied tourists in Eforie Nord. The latter wanted to enjoy the water despite the risk of drowning. The brawl began after a tourist threw a stone at a lifeguard on a jet ski, and then things quickly escalated. Police are currently investigating the incident.

(Photo source: Bogdan6179 | Dreamstime.com)