In the East Kazakhstan region, none of the inspected beaches and public recreation areas near water have been able to pass the rescue service inspection without comments. Such data were provided by the regional emergency department. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
This year, 23 public recreation areas near water have been officially designated for residents. Meanwhile, the first tragic incidents have already been recorded on the region's water bodies.
According to the Emergency Department, 18 applications have been received for inspection of beaches, recreation centers, and other public bathing areas. Inspections have been completed at ten facilities, but all of them received comments and do not yet meet safety requirements.
"Based on the inspection results, all inspected facilities received comments and do not yet meet the requirements of safety rules on water bodies," said Iskhar Savazov, Deputy Head of the East Kazakhstan Region Emergency Department.
As noted by the department, beach and recreation area owners often fail to meet mandatory requirements. This includes surveying the bottom of water bodies, equipping children's swimming areas, installing buoys and warning signs, training lifeguards, organizing medical posts, and providing the area with rescue equipment.
Despite this, the water recreation season is gaining momentum. Rescuers urge residents to choose only officially equipped swimming areas and not to rely on the presence of a sandy beach or a large number of vacationers.
The first tragedies of the current season give particular relevance to these warnings. Since the beginning of the bathing period, two people have drowned in the region. In both cases, people were resting in unequipped places and neglected basic safety rules.
According to experts, the main causes of death on water remain swimming in prohibited areas, alcohol consumption, and lack of supervision of children.
To ensure the safety of vacationers, five rescue units of the Emergency Department operate in the region. Police officers, local executive bodies, military personnel, and volunteers are also involved in patrolling water bodies. An additional mobile rescue post has been deployed in the village of Novostroyka, Samara district.
"170 warning signs have been installed on the region's water bodies, and 38 lifeguards have been trained. However, the safety of vacationers depends not only on rescuers but also on the citizens themselves," emphasized Iskhar Savazov.
In total, 23 official public recreation areas near water have been designated in the East Kazakhstan region. Three of them are located in Ust-Kamenogorsk — in the Samal Park, at the KHM, and at the area for boating and catamarans. The rest are in Ridder and districts of the region.
Rescuers remind that only a beach where the bottom has been surveyed, swimming areas are equipped, lifeguards are on duty, and rescue equipment is available can be considered safe. In case of an emergency, call 112 immediately.