It has been July 2018 since so many people were lost on the coast: then the month of July ticked off at 1,100 lost people. “The beautiful summer weather naturally attracted a lot of people to our Flemish coast and that is clearly evident in the figures,” it says at the IKWV.
“However, the problem of lost children should not be a problem,” says chairman Bert Gunst. “If the parents or supervisors of children keep a proper eye on their offspring or at least put on a free stray wristband, a lot of misery could be avoided.”
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If the rescuers have to take care of a panicking parent or lost child for the umpteenth time, this can obviously create unsafe situations
The lifeguards also warn of unsafe situations. “The priority of the rescuers at the sea is, of course, with the bathers and water sports enthusiasts, as well as with tourists who become unwell or hurt themselves on the beach. If their attention is constantly being pulled away from these tasks, because they have to take care of a panicking parent or lost child for the umpteenth time, this can obviously create unsafe situations.”