New equipment hoped to avoid more tragedies

FOLLOWING the tragic deaths of three young Turkish tourists on a Marbella beach last month, the council has installed a new, modern, life-saving aid that anyone can use.
A month ago, two Turkish teenagers and their 30-year-old teacher lost their lives in spite of help from tourists on Marbella’s La Venus beach.
In an aim to avoid repeats of the tragic drownings, the council has had a Punto Naranja (Orange Point) placed there.
Pepe Barrero from Patentes Cala Cerrada, the Sevilla company that invented the equipment, explained that in accidents of the type the tourists suffered, speed is of the essence.
The equipment consists of a metallic structure anchored to a cement base in the sand, a little way back from the shore. Inside is a special harness, sewed to a 300-metre strap which is wrapped around a reel and includes a system to automatically reel the harness in, which can be activated either by the rescuer from the sea or another person on the shore.
Barrero said: “The main advantages of the Punto Naranja are its speed, as it multiplies the chances of victims surviving, the peace of mind it provides rescuers who know no matter what they will be able to get back to the shore, and the ease of being pulled back to the beach, meaning all energy can be put into reanimation. Plus, best of all, anyone can use it.”