NEPA launches campaign to help reduce drownings

The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has launched a beach and river safety campaign aimed at reducing incidents of drowning.

A total of 128 people have drowned at rivers and beaches in Jamaica between 2020 and 2024, NEPA said, citing police statistics.

Seventy-four people drowned in a river or pond while beaches accounted for 54 deaths.

A statement from NEPA said the Beach and River Safety Campaign was created out of an “urgent need” to reduce preventable drowning.

“The national campaign aims to increase public awareness of beach and river hazards, encourage responsible behaviour around water and foster a culture of water safety among Jamaicans and visitors alike,” the agency said.

“The sobering reality is that drowning is often swift yet preventable.”

NEPA says beaches and rivers are dynamic natural systems where changing environmental conditions can quickly become hazardous, causing an outing or family trip to end in tragedy within seconds.

It says one of the most significant hazards at beaches is rip current, described as a narrow, fast-moving channel of water flowing away from the shoreline.

Rip currents can rapidly carry swimmers away from shore and attempting to swim directly against the current often results in exhaustion, NEPA explained.

The regulatory body said rivers present equally serious risks as heavy rainfall occurring several kilometres upstream can produce sudden increases in water depth and flow velocity downstream, even when weather conditions at the recreation site appear favourable.

“Drowning does not discriminate between the experienced swimmer and the novice, the young or the old, nor does it always occur in rough waters,” it said.

“A moment of overconfidence, a lapse in judgment, strong currents, alcohol consumption, or venturing into unfamiliar waters can all have devastating consequences,” it cautioned.

NEPA said through practical advice, public education and strategic partnerships, the beach and river safety campaign will seek to ensure that every visit to the beach or river ends the way it should with cherished memories and not a heart-breaking loss.

The campaign will involve television and radio features, newspaper articles, social media campaigns, public service announcements, school visits, community workshops and educational resources.

The goal is to deliver practical water-safety messages to communities across the island, with emphasis on children and young adults to encourage lifelong water-safety practices, while strengthening collaboration with government agencies, emergency responders, local authorities, schools, community organisations, licensed beach operators and the tourism sector.

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