Zoé Pallier 1:26 p.m., June 11, 2022
This Saturday, with a significant rise in temperatures and water which has also warmed up well in a few days, swimming will be strongly discouraged outside supervised areas.
Strong currents are expected under the effect of the baïnes, kinds of natural pools that form between the beach and the sandbanks and empty with the ebb.
Bathing is not recommended today on the New Aquitaine coast.
An alert has been issued by the prefecture due to increased risks of drowning.
Strong currents are expected under the effect of the baïnes, kinds of natural pools that form between the beach and the sandbanks and empty with the ebb.
We must therefore remain very careful despite the good weather, warns Martin Guespereau, delegate prefect for defense and security.
"No swimmer resists baïnes"
"What's going to be treacherous this Saturday is that it's going to be irregular. There are times when the swell is a little less strong and people are going to get in the water. It will be very hot outside and it will be very tempting and very quickly there can be a surprise by very strong swell torrents which arrive and which produce a very powerful bath which takes swimmers up to 400 meters offshore", he warns.
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"There are a few supervised areas that have been set up by the mayors on the coast. We advise against swimming outside because of this major risk. When swimming, we always swim with someone nearby who can give the alert. If there is a difficulty and if you are unfortunately caught in a baïne, you have to let yourself float, let yourself be brought back to the edge and above all not fight against the baïne. No swimmer can resist it".
It is necessary to prefer the South and Central beaches in Hossegor and the Penon beach in Seignosse, which will be supervised, without forgetting the lake.