Another Drowning at Monastery Beach . . .

[Bigbella]

Probably none of them have signs like that.

I'm truly sorry I asked for clarification here. Please forgive my ignorance of what that beach is like and having the temerity to ask you why you posted what you did. I'll unsubscribe from this thread for you now.

Heh, heh, heh . . .

C'mon, what part of the phrase, in the first post -- "The current signage at Carmel River State Beach (aka Monastery and Mortuary) almost ensures imminent death on the dry sand" -- lacks clarity?

 

[BlueTrin]

Here is yet more sad news, from the Carmel area -- yet another drowning death at one of the premiere diving spots on the California Central Coast. Apparently, it was a swimmer this time around, attempting to rescue a family member, on a small float.

Cal Fire releases new details on drowning at Carmel Beach

Why this continues to happen with some regularity, is beyond me. The current signage at Carmel River State Beach (aka Monastery and Mortuary) almost ensures imminent death on the dry sand. It also happens to be a favorite dive spot, where you can be in a thousand of meters of water, just offshore, where a finger of the Monterey Canyon almost reaches the beach . . .

If you have a lot of people in one spot, especially if some of them are not locals, you are bound to have a few people ignoring the warnings ?

I don’t have the figures but I imagine that the vast majority of people follow the warnings and do not die.

 

[TMHeimer]

If you have a lot of people in one spot, especially if some of them are not locals, you are bound to have a few people ignoring the warnings ?

I don’t have the figures but I imagine that the vast majority of people follow the warnings and do not die.

Yes. I have see some pretty strange stuff on the Gulf beaches of Destin, FL in winter. Red flags up, signs for what the flags mean at every beach entrance. Yet kids play in the surf unsupervised (or at least just supervised from parents on the beach).
And as I've often said on the Pro forums, people taking OW course with basically no prior "water" experience. As they say, Darwin.....

 

[MaxBottomtime]

There used to be signs that mentioned the deaths that have occurred there. Even those weren't enough to keep people out when the surf is up.

 

[Marie13]

Yes. I have see some pretty strange stuff on the Gulf beaches of Destin, FL in winter. Red flags up, signs for what the flags mean at every beach entrance. Yet kids play in the surf unsupervised (or at least just supervised from parents on the beach).
And as I've often said on the Pro forums, people taking OW course with basically no prior "water" experience. As they say, Darwin.....

Not just Florida. With the much higher Great Lakes water levels came a lot of drownings this year, especially in Lake Michigan, mostly from Chicago to SW Michigan. I saw a Chicago TV reporter reporting on rip current warnings and parents were telling the reporter they had no issues with their pre-schoolers going in the water. The parents were watching the kids from shore. You just can’t fix stupid.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Monastery Beach is the second most dangerous beach I have ever been to.
Possibly equal first in the same swell conditions.

Its right down the road and I haven't dove there yet.
The diving is great but the conditions have to be right, they haven't been when I have been able. Even then, you only enter from the extreme ends of the beach N or S, never in the middle.

I have been in the water there, non scuba, on a calmish day, I have also been there and said "nahhh", non scuba.

The beach slope is extreme, which means the wave action is big quick and harsh. It has killed a lot of people.
Unfortunately some benign beaches have signs, this beach has signs and is far from benign.

 

[Bob DBF]

Surf Zone fatalities, Florida is more dangerous by the numbers, of course you can actually go swimming there.
Surf Zone Fatalities in 2019: 85

Why this continues to happen with some regularity...

People will make mistakes and sometimes it's fatal.

Ocean beach San Francisco has a bigger body count than elsewhere in Ca.


Bob

 

[drrich2]

People get used to product warning labels that appear designed to keep low-functioning people from electrocuting themselves with electronics in the bathtub, kids from committing suicide by swallowing pieces of toys, etc... Look at the side-effect listings on common over-the-counter medications.

People get used to being 'over-warned' to excess and ignoring a lot of it in order to live life. Trans fat, lack of exercise, that cheese burger and fries will give you diabetes and kill you, etc...

They also get used to things significantly dangerous being outlawed.

Looking at the 2nd photo BigBella posted, if I were not informed by Scuba Board and just wandered onto the beach and saw it, I'd probably think:

1.) The listing of 'No <insert activity>' doesn't include swimming.

2.) The lower sign says dangerous waves, stay back from water's edge, and shows an enormous one much taller than a human. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a problem routinely most of the time, and if the waves I saw watching the ocean awhile didn't look that problematic, I'd figure that was more an issue for invalids walking the beach during storms or some such.

I've read about 'Mortuary Beach' before, enough to fear it.

Those of you who've been there a few times, is it highly unusual to see someone on a float on the water? Do you see swimmers from time to time?

Richard

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

It natural selection.

 

[FreeFlyFreak]

Surf Zone fatalities, Florida is more dangerous by the numbers, of course you can actually go swimming there.
Surf Zone Fatalities in 2019: 85


Bob

Percentages matter.