Three people drowned on the coast of Paraná in separate incidents, but linked by the same factor. The deaths on the beaches of Paraná in recent weeks occurred in places without the presence of civilian or military lifeguards. The lack of professionals in risk areas may have contributed to the increase in the number of accidents and fatalities.
Luiz Carlos Desiombra, 43, a resident of Ponta Grossa, was a drowning victim on February 28 and was aided by bystanders still at the scene. He was taken alive to the Litoral Regional Hospital (HRL) in Paranaguá, but did not survive and died on the 08th. The accident occurred near the lifeguard post at Balneario Leblon, in Pontal do Paraná.
Gabriel de Oliveira do Amaral, 17, a resident of Pontal do Paraná, was swept away by the current on Tuesday (03) afternoon after entering the sea. The body was found on Friday (06) at night, in Matinhos, almost in front of the lifeguard post at Balneario Marissol.
Pamela Lenz Gottardi, 21, a Civil Engineering student at UFPR, was surfing in the Praia Grande area, on Ilha do Mel, when the current swept her and another surfer, a 17-year-old teenager. Rescue teams managed to locate the young man, who was pulled from the sea alive after an operation that mobilized civilian lifeguards, Fire Department teams, and the crew of the helicopter Arcanjo 01, from the Aviation Command of the Military Police of Paraná. Despite the efforts, Pamela did not survive.
Tragedy foretold
The Military Fire Department of Paraná (CBMPR) was aware that there would be atypical activity at Praia Grande, on Ilha do Mel, on the weekend when the tragedy with student Pamela Lenz Gottardi occurred. A group of messages between civilian and military lifeguards revealed that the command requested reinforcing patrols at the site.
"This weekend, we will have an event at Praia Grande. At the Command’s request, it will be necessary to reinforce patrols at the location," the notice said.
The lifeguards asked about the availability of materials such as signs and flags, and Major Éverton, one of those responsible for distributing the posts, replied that the items were at the Posto Guarda-Vidas (PGV) Praia de Fora, but those from Grajagan beach had been removed.
After Pamela’s death was confirmed, Corporal Marcelo lamented the episode and called for additional personnel for more posts at events with large crowds. "It would be advisable for the command to try to secure greater personnel so that more posts can be set up on the island, especially when there is already knowledge of some event or something that brings more people than usual," said Corporal Marcelo.
Spectators of the tragedy
The incident that occurred at Praia Grande, on Ilha do Mel, which resulted in a person’s death, sparked indignation and questions about the organization and distribution of lifeguard teams in the region.
According to the owner of a local inn who did not want to be identified, the lifeguard post where the student Pamela Lenz Gottardi was the victim of drowning was closed and without professionals on duty.
According to the businessman, Praia Grande received around 200 people at the time of the accident and remained without assistance, while the post at Praia de Fora, another place on the island, had three or four lifeguards. The situation is considered unacceptable, especially in an area with a large flow of people. The community expects answers and effective actions to ensure safety at Praia Grande and prevent incidents like this from happening again.
“We hope that this episode will be investigated with due seriousness and that measures will be taken to ensure that all posts are at least minimally staffed, preventing new tragedies like so many that, unfortunately, we have already witnessed, from happening again,” said the businessman.
