Europe 1 with AFP 6:23 p.m., August 19, 2022
After having placed four departments on maximum alert for the risk of formation of baïnes for the day of Saturday, the prefecture of New Aquitaine called on Friday to "bathe only in supervised areas" of the beaches of the coast.
The population is invited to be "cautious" and to bathe "in supervised areas".
The prefecture of New Aquitaine called on Friday to "bathe only in supervised areas" of the beaches of the coast, after having placed four departments on maximum alert for the risk of formation of baïnes for the day on Saturday.
“The bathing conditions will be particularly dangerous” on the New Aquitaine coast, given “the concordance of various phenomena: swell, on-board waves and strong currents”, indicated the prefecture.
Currents that can carry offshore
The population is invited to be "cautious" and swim "in the supervised areas" of the four coastal departments: Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Les Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
This device was put in place in 2022 to warn of the dangers of baïnes, these natural pools of innocuous appearance forming between the beach and a sandbank but whose currents can quickly carry out to sea.
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Data from Météo France and the opinions of experts such as lifeguards posted on the coast make it possible to assess the dangerousness of the currents daily, recalled the prefecture.
Since the beginning of the year, this is the third time that this device has been triggered on the beaches of New Aquitaine, where baïnes are responsible for several drownings each year.