Lifeguards Urge Caution around Sunken Wreckage
CORONADO, CA (February 11, 2016) – Caution
is advised at the beach due to the large metal remnants of the Monte
Carlo gambling ship that sank off Coronado’s shores in 1936.
Due
to the large quantity of sand eroded off the beach with the winter
storm surf, sections of the 80-year-old Monte Carlo shipwreck are more
exposed that they have been in almost 20 years. With the unusually warm
weather and the current high interest in the uncovered vessel,
Lifeguards are reminding visitors to use extreme caution when exploring
the shipwreck at low tide when it is most visible. The vessel is in the southern part of Coronado's South Beach, near the Coronado Shores condominium complex.
Lifeguards
say beach goers should wear protective footwear if walking around it
and advise against walking directly on the wreckage at low tide due to
slippery algae growth and the rusting metal. They warn that swimming
around the wreckage at high tide can be dangerous as there are deep
holes in and around the shipwreck. When covered by the tide, dangerous
currents swirl around the vessel particularly when the surf is up.
Lifeguards
had to come to the aid of a young woman, who was twice warned but got
too close during a high tide and ended up over her head in a deep hole,
struggling to get out. The City asks that visitors use common sense and
talk to the Lifeguards before entering the water in the shipwreck area.
###
