I’ve spent more years than I care to count staring at the water from the high chair. You see the horizon, the tourists see a postcard, but I see the currents, the drop-offs, and the way the sea changes her mind in a heartbeat.
When you hear about a little one—like that child in Agios Nikolaos yesterday—it brings a cold sweat to every lifeguard on the island. People think the “resort beach” is a giant bathtub. They think that because they paid for a sunbed and the water is turquoise, the sea is tamed. But the sea doesn’t care about your booking.
Here’s what I want to tell you as one of the daily shore watchers:
A Safe Shore Is an Illusion
It is not the deep end where strong swimmers go that poses the most risk, but rather the two-foot shallows where you think your child is just playing.
- Suck-Back: Even on a calm day, the recoil of a wave and the rushing of water back out to sea can quickly suck the sand away from under the feet of a toddler. One moment they are standing, the next they are off-balance. They panic, they inhale, and the silence begins. This happens faster than you can put down your phone.
- Eye-Line Trap: Parents become comfortable and think, “I’m 10 feet away; I can see them.” Unfortunately, drowning children are not like those in the movies; they don’t scream and wave their arms. Instead, they go quiet and sink like a stone. If you are looking at your phone rather than your child’s face, you are already too late.
My Three Rules for the Sand
If you want to keep your family safe while you’re here, forget the vacation mindset for a few hours.
- Reach away: If your child is in the water, you are in the water—not “nearby,” not “on the sunbed.” You should be within arm’s reach of your child. If you are not wet, you are not protecting your child.
- Be aware of the “invisible” hazards: There’s a fish called the Dracaena (Weever fish) here, and it’s a master of disguise. It buries itself in the same shallow, sandy areas your toddlers love to sit and dig. Step on one, and it launches a volley of venomous spines into your foot. I’ve seen grown men go pale and collapse in agony; for a small child, it’s a nightmare. Always watch where you step, and teach your children to “shuffle” their feet rather than stomp to scare the fish away.
- Respect the lifeguards, even when we annoy you: Please, don’t give me that “I’ve just had my tan spoiled” look when I blow the whistle for drifting too far out or for a child being too close to the edge. I am the only person here who is not trying to enjoy himself in the sun. I am here to ensure you will be able to enjoy your day tomorrow.
Those parents from Agios Nikolaos will shake for a long time; it is a trauma that stays in the salt of your skin. If you take only one thing from me today, please understand that the sea is not your nanny. Watch your children and keep your hand on their arm. Leave your phones in your bags until you are on dry, solid ground.
Be safe out there. The water will still be there tomorrow, and I’d prefer it if you were, too.