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.

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