Previous Story
Boaters beware, swimmers are there
|
Posted on Mar 02 2005
People enjoying the islands’ beaches must be considerate of their fellow beachgoers.
That seems to be the consensus of swimmers and police officers with regards to the use of local waterways, but according to a few people utilizing the Saipan Lagoon, some boaters may not have been operating their craft safely.
On any given Monday, Wednesday, or Friday afternoon, one can usually see a small group of people gathering along water’s edge next to AJ’s Bar and Restaurant in Susupe at 12pm clad in bathing suits and swim goggles as they prepare to swim a lap around the semi-submerged tanks in the lagoon.
A few of the swimmers recently exchanged their thoughts and close calls with passing watercraft, and have begun contemplating options: from changing their hours, to changing location, but not all of the local swimmers have experienced the same difficulties.
One afternoon swimmer said yesterday that he felt that the jet ski companies are actually looking out for them while they are in the water, and pointed to one of the operators who watched over his rented vessels well beyond the tanks.
When questioned about his opinion, Department of Public Safety’s Boating Safety Sgt. John Diaz offered what he felt would remedy the situation.
“They should let them know that they’re out there. They can swim out there, and the swimmer always has the right of way, but the boats can pass with the respect that they look out for the swimmer,” said Diaz.
Diaz added that it would behoove the swimmers to wear a swim cap to increase their visibility to boaters while traversing the course, and suggested that, if the swimmers were to write a letter to the DPS informing them of the dates and times of their trips around the tanks, the police could go out to the water sport companies and advise them to take extra precaution during these times.
