Lifeguards stopped patrolling a Vancouver beach on Tuesday nights because crowds at a weekly drum circle grew unmanageable and dangerous, the park board said.
The decision was announced in a tweet, with the board saying the decision to stop patrols at 7 p.m. was necessary to keep lifeguards safe and followed an ‘incident’ at Third Beach in Stanley Park. at the beginning of the month.
“All who attend the drum circle are warned of the risks associated with unsupervised swimming,” the tweet continues.
TWEET EMBED: In an email, a spokesperson provided more details. On July 12, guards pulled an unconscious person from the water and administered first aid until an ambulance arrived.
“At the time of the incident, it is reported that the number of people in Third Beach exceeded 4,000,” the statement said.
“Other rescuers at the scene reported being obstructed and harassed by individuals in the crowd, both physically and verbally, as they attempted to reach the unconscious individual.”
The weekly rally has been described as an “unsanctioned and unauthorized event” which has drawn growing and unruly crowds to the seafront in recent weeks. The spokesperson for the park’s board said it had reached the point where rangers and lifeguards could no longer ensure their own safety or that of those participating in the drum circle.
The Vancouver Park Board will meet with the city’s police and protective services to “establish a coordinated approach and long-term strategy to manage large crowd gatherings and related by-law violations.”
