Signage anywhere can be a lifesaver, not least on a beach.

Hence our consternation that beachside ‘no swimming’ signs removed by rampaging Hurricane Beryl in early July 2024 close to the Alligator Pond fishing village in southern Manchester have not been replaced.

Presumably, the absence of signage was a factor in an American visitor going for a swim in the sea at the juncture with Alligator Pond River on Good Friday.

Unlike the river, that section of sea, like much of the coastline at Alligator Pond, has long been considered extremely dangerous for swimming.

Thankfully, rescuers were able to pull the visitor to safety after he got into difficulties.

Locals told our reporter that some visitors often disobey/ignore signage.

One responder told how some time ago “…a man took off his shirt and [covered] the [no swimming] sign and go jump off in the water and people have to end up come help him…”

Being able to swim can be a lifesaver. It’s among the ironies of a land surrounded by water, that many, if not most Jamaicans can’t swim.

However, in the case of Jamaica’s south coast, there are sections of beach where the water is so unpredictable, even strong, experienced swimmers are advised not to enter. So that while learning to swim can help to improve safety for beach-lovers, it’s never a cure-all.

Treacherous under currents and sudden, powerful tidal waves off Jamaica’s south coast especially, have taken many lives. Among them businessman Mr Andre Burnett, who was overwhelmed by a massive wave and swept away while standing in waist-high water at Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth — routinely considered a leader in Jamaica’s community tourism niche — in late 2020.

Among the saddest stories is that of Alligator Pond fisherman Mr Wayne Watson, a strong swimmer, who had made it a habit to save people from drowning, only to succumb to the same fate in August 2023.

Such tragedies have had the effect, on occasions, of motivating residents and community leadership to act in the pursuit of safety. That includes joining hands with the authorities such as the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) and municipal corporations to install signage, build public awareness programmes, and teach people to swim.

Naivete on the part of visitors can be daunting. As pleasure boat operator Mr Dennis Abrahams told this newspaper in 2020: “I see people come, don’t know anything about the beach and just run into the sea like they running on a football field. You can’t do that.”

Ultimately, it’s enlightened self-interest for all those in fishing villages and all beachfront communities to protect those who come, by whatever means necessary.

For as one Alligator Pond vendor was quoted by our reporter as saying after the recent Good Friday rescue: “When people drown, we get less support [from visitors], so we have to secure them…”

Obviously, then, among the first tasks of residents of Alligator Pond and surrounding communities after this Easter weekend should be to insist on, and partner with the authorities to restore ‘no swimming’ signs removed by Hurricane Beryl.

Also, we believe, the authorities should expeditiously audit every beachside community to ensure that, over time, safety signs are installed wherever deemed appropriate.