As people look for ways to cool down from Taiwan's sweltering summer heat, many are flocking to beaches for a refreshing dip in the ocean. At one popular Tainan beach though, unpredictable currents have had deadly consequences on beach goers. Authorities are now calling on people to exercise caution when they visit.
Yuguang Island is a popular beach in Southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. People are flocking to its shores to beat the summer heat. But, lurking beneath the waves here are deadly rip currents that threaten to drag swimmers out to sea.
Last Friday, one person was caught in one of these strong currents and was swept out to the ocean. Authorities found their body two days later.
Coastal Ocean Systems Professor Dong-Jiing Doong says that rip currents are dangerous. Yuguang Island’s terrain generates these unpredictable systems which have life-threatening consequences. Doong says rip currents can be anywhere from 30 to 80 meters wide. They can pull people out to the ocean at speeds of between .5 and 3 meters-per-second — faster than even an Olympic gold medalist swimmer.
A local vendor says many outside visitors to Yuguang Island aren’t privy to the beach’s dangers.
However, that might be because of a lack of signage. A few visitors remark that there’s a lack of warning signs upon entering the beach. But, even with what few signs there are, not a lot of people seem to heed caution.
It’s important to stay cool during summer, but it’s even more important to stay safe while doing so.