Lifeguards/ CPR personnel, signage/ emergency equipment for creeks immediately

Following the deaths of 10-year-old Akira LaRose and 11-year-old Joylyn Jack of West Demerara on Sunday, September 08, 2024, at Enchanter Creek along the Soesdyke Linden Highway, the government has stepped in to curb the loss of life and limbs at resorts and water recreation facilities across the country.

With immediate effect, facilities with bodies of water for recreational purposes guests and patrons have been tasked with implementing several safety measures.

This was conveyed during a meeting between the Guyana Tourism Authority, the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, the Ministry of Labour, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Ministers Charles Ramson and Robeson Benn were also present during the meeting.

Lifeguards, life rafts, life rings, water barricades, clear separation of adult/children swimming areas, emergency rapid response personnel, persons trained in CPR, and safety equipment are among the things operators have been asked to put in place immediately. Concerning the signage, those are expected to be up by Saturday.

At the meeting, operators indicated they do have some systems in place. They stated that they can’t monitor hundreds of people simultaneously and that persons coming to facilities should be responsible also.

At the meeting, the gathering was told that of the many facilities along the Soesdyke Linden Highway, only ten are properly registered with the Environment Protection Agency which has its own sets of guidelines before issuing permits for the operation of these facilities. In other words, hundreds of people on the weekends end up at facilities operating without permits.

The EPA rep at the meeting said for some it’s by choice and for others it’s a case where they do not have the documentation showing ownership of the lands and as such the EPA cannot grant a permit to someone who has no documentation to support or prove that they own the facility they are seeking permits for.

Further, several operators have repeatedly refused to cooperate with EPA officers during site visits. Minister Ramson ordered that the reports of this non-cooperation should be shared with the EPA’s subject minister so it can make its way to the cabinet.

The meeting on Monday, September 10, 2024, was attended by several operators. Some appeared virtually while others appeared in person at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

Over the years several persons have lost their lives at creeks along the Soesdyke Linden Highway. After the meeting yesterday, it was agreed that a task force would be established to monitor the operation of the facilities and ensure compliance with the rules, regulations, and laws that govern the sector and operations of such establishments.