Following the various publications on social networks, that the municipality of Haifa has placed signs new ones, Prohibiting bathing on beaches where there is no lifeguard and giving a report to bathers on these beaches. The Hai Paa system examined the issue in depth.
First, according to the law, a local authority within the jurisdiction of declared and undeclared beaches is obliged to place warning signs for bathers, especially on beaches without a lifeguard. The warning signs on Haifa's beaches have always existed and are not new signs.
The director of the Beaches Division in the Haifa Municipality Yehiel (Hilik Amsalem) said in a face-to-face conversation:
"According to the law, entering without the supervision of a lifeguard is prohibited and not only dangerous. I do not understand this banter precisely with the opening of the bathing season, because since the beginning of the year and as of today (7/4/19) not a single report has been registered for bathers. According to our records, two reports were registered in December 2018 for two bathers who insisted despite the inspectors warning to gather and swim. I emphasize that the report is a means and not the end and it is left to the discretion of the inspector. As an authority, we must do everything to prevent drowning on the beaches in our possession, and according to the law we are obliged to place signs that prohibit bathing on unannounced beaches."
"As part of the renovations we did in preparation for the opening of the bathing season, we also refreshed the signage and did not put up additional signs. The law requires us to warn the residents bathing so we did not do anything beyond the existing. I must point out that when we raised the issue of the danger of winter bathers and the eight rescues from death must have been by lifeguards that we trained in the winter season, mayor Einat Kalish Rotem, She requested that we promote the issue of opening several lifeguard stations even in the winter season to allow swimmers to swim safely and to look after them. We are looking at the possibility of opening them already this year."
The drowning family sued the Haifa municipality:
"It should be remembered that a lawsuit was filed against the Haifa municipality where the plaintiff is the family of a girl who drowned in the evening hours at the bathing beach and the court ordered the municipality to pay this family because according to the beach law they are the responsibility of the local authority. Therefore, we are trying to fulfill the responsibility without harming the bathers. Regarding The things that were written in the various publications - there is no new instruction for the bathing public, and there is no change in policy regarding surfers either."
City Council member Yaron Hanan, one of the Greens of Haifa who supports the approach of the beach manager, told Lahi Pa: "I am in favor of the beach director's approach. The issue of drownings on Haifa's beaches was handled by me and I caused the bathing season to be extended and the lifeguard stations on the beach to be operated and there is still more to be done. The lifeguard stations should operate at least an extra hour in the evening during the warm months and bathers on beaches without lifeguard stations should be discouraged from risking their lives The large amount of drownings in the last two years proves that there is no escape from this and it is important to prevent as many tragedies as possible that drown lives and crush families."
