Palm Beach, known as the ‘Beach of Death’ in the coastal region of Alexandria Governorate in Egypt, has reopened to the public with full security measures after a three-year closure.

According to Arab News, an increase in tourist deaths in the area forced Egyptian authorities to close the beach three years ago.

The beach reopened this summer with new safety regulations, field monitoring, and access to the sea with quality restrictions set by the Diving and Rescue Federation.

This beach had acquired a serious and negative reputation due to the significant increase in tourist drownings every year.

The head of the Central Administration of Tourism and Resorts in Egypt, Dr. Mohamed Abdelrazaq, said that the reopening of the coastline has been allowed after discussions on safety measures and the successful implementation of new regulations.

Sea Jets (Sky Jets) have been instructed to patrol underwater in various facilities keeping in view immediate rescue and safety measures along with life guards stationed on the shore.

Swimming outside designated coastal areas is strictly prohibited and will not be relaxed.

Any violation or neglect of the instructions will result in immediate closure of the beach and adherence to these rules to protect lives.

It should be noted that Alexandria Palm Beach was considered a major hazard for vacationers and reported the highest number of tourist drownings every summer.

The director general of the General Administration of Resorts, Osama Ali, said that the breakwaters (large rocks) placed along the shore created too many eddies that were dangerous for inexperienced swimmers, leading to the beach being closed to the public in 2020. Closed.

Following the government’s decision, the main roads leading to the Corniche and the beach side were sealed off with barbed wire.

Warning boards were posted prominently stating that the beach was closed by the government and entry into the area was strictly prohibited.

Osama Ali added that the Central Tourism and Resorts Authority has announced the re-opening of Alexandria’s Palm Beach in the summer of 2023, with all requirements to ensure safety for tourists being met.

Safety measures include deployment of certified lifeguards, breakwaters in the sea and watchtowers on the beach and several teams patrolling the sandy beach.

Additionally, three or four water scooters with approved rescue tools are to be kept near tourists at all times to make the beach safe.

Four fully equipped ambulance points have been established near the shore for emergencies.

Control towers are installed here and warning signs are clearly visible to the public between each tower.

Palm Beach’s crisis began several years ago when drownings began to rise, and in 2018 there were reportedly 16 accidents on a single day.

The dire situation often encountered in retrieving the bodies of missing persons near the coastline drew the attention of management agencies to find solutions to reduce beach drownings.

In past years, the tourist hours on the beach were kept from sunrise to sunset, while most of the drownings occurred before or after the official opening hours.

Swimming in deep waters close to shore has been particularly dangerous with invisible eddies and the absence of lifeguards after sunset.