Although most accidents on the beaches are due to a lack of caution on the part of bathers, it is true that there are some sandy areas where a little more care is needed to avoid problems. These include Playa de los Locos, in Cantabria, which we talked about yesterday, and Fortiñon, one of the beaches with the highest number of bathing accidents in Vigo. As you can imagine, this is not a coincidence, but there are different reasons that make it so dangerous.
Also known as Saiáns beach because it’s located in the Vigo parish of the same name, this beach is located near the border between Vigo and Nigrán, in an outer area of the Vigo estuary. It’s nestled between rocky outcrops and is the most exposed sandy beach in Vigo to the Atlantic. Here we explain where the danger lies on this beach.
Surf
This beach has some oceanographic peculiarities that make its waves more dangerous. Among others, its pronounced profile, which makes the waves break as they approach the shore, generating a “tube”. When breaking, the wave injects a lot of energy and can drag a bather and hit the bottom.
Currents
On the other hand, the water dragged by the waves towards the beach returns by gravity to the sea, sliding along the sandy profile. The return of this mass of water is preferentially concentrated in one area of the beach and generates a current that crosses the beach, known as the undertow current.
The rocks
Finally, you have to be careful with the rocks. During the summer, many bathers explore them in search of small animals. However, some of these rocks can be covered by algae, which are very slippery and can cause a fall. The surf can also push a person onto the rocks, knocking them over if they swim in.