The lifeguards will have jurisdiction over the resort’s seven Gulf of Thailand beaches. At present, Ochheutal is the only Sihanoukville beach with any kind of lifeguard patrols, but local residents say they do not come every day.
The recruitment drive for lifeguards follows a number of incidents in which swimmers have got into difficulties. High winds caused by the tail end of the monsoon season have made the sea treacherous in recent days. On Saturday, authorities put up flags warning that the sea was too dangerous to swim in.
The spokesperson noted that red flags meant beachgoers should stay out of the water altogether while amber indicated conditions were only suitable for strong swimmers. Green flags mean the sea is safe for all. In a few weeks, most days will be green-flag ones as the monsoon rains will have ended and the sea will take on its usual serene appearance.
Sihanoukville is second only to the famed temples of Angkor on the itineraries of tourists visiting Cambodia. 12GO ASIA sells ticket for buses between Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Kampot.
Sihanoukville vows to hire more beach lifeguards
News in Asia
Authorities in the Cambodian seaside town of Sihanoukville say they plan to hire lifeguards to keep an eye on swimmers. A spokesperson said the plan was to bring in a total of 30 lifeguards and also to install watchtowers and a public address system.