Four people were swept away by the sea off the north coast of Madeira in 2023 and fourteen survived, the Madeiran Association for Relief at Sea (SANAS) announced today.
In a statement, SANAS said that 18 citizens fell or were swept away by the sea last year, of whom 14 survived and four died.
Of the 14 survivors, eight were rescued by the lifeboat assigned to the Porto Moniz station, in the north of the island, and the remaining six got out on their own or were helped by people.
With regard to the deaths, the association points out that “they overshadow the statistics for a year in which the main cause of accidents was the desire to take photographs, ignoring signs, danger tapes and advice from people present at the scene”.
“We follow with serious concern the voluntary exposure of citizens, mostly foreigners, to risks along the coastline on days when there are sea disturbance alerts in force,” says the operational commander, Ângelo Abreu, quoted in the statement.
The commander emphasizes the “low operational response times”, but warns that “when people are willing to put their own lives at risk to recreate a photograph”, operatives and equipment are put at risk “by inconceivable actions that tend to occur on days with maritime disturbance alerts in force”.
SANAS – Associação Madeirense para o Socorro no Mar, a non-profit Public Utility Institution, was created in 1985 to promote safety, rescue and the safeguarding of human life at sea along the coasts of the Madeira archipelago.
It also carries out surveillance activities on the main beaches in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, conducting lifeguard courses, lifeboat crew and safety at sea, and guarantees airport prevention 24 hours a day.
