Monday, March 24 2008

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Eye on the beach: A girl peers over an incline at Las Cuevas Bay to observe the crowd at the beach yesterday. ...

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Vessigny beach, the annual Easter site for the popular Baywatch fete, did not fare well yesterday as hundreds flocked to Mayaro to enjoy a day of fun despite warnings from the meterological services for people to be mindful of strong currents and high waves.

The party got off to an apparent late start because at 2 pm there was just a few people mingling on the beach.

Erica Maloney who operates one of the food huts expressed her disappointment. “More people would mean more money for us. I have sold at Baywatch for six years and I hope patrons will come later on.”

Five lifeguards were stationed on the beach and they were seen warning the few on the beach, mostly children, to stay within the 500-metre radius of yellow and red caution flags. Lifeguards said the water appeared choppy on Friday but was a welcoming calm yesterday. One life guard said they were only on for duty until 6 pm yesterday but the Baywatch fete was customary to last way into the night.

The fete will continue day today where some ten disc jockeys are expected to play At Mayaro bathing spots, police said yesterday that hundreds of people jam-packed the beach from as early as 8 am. One life guard patrol captain told Newsday that despite this week’s reports of rough sea conditions, this year’s Easter weekend was the busiest in Mayaro. It was busier probably because of warnings to stay off the beach in the north eastern coasts so that Manzanilla visitors instead went to Mayaro,” said Lennox Baptiste, a patrol officer and life guard at Mayaro.