Anthony Amanya, the Commandant of the Marine Police Unit told Uganda Radio Network on Friday morning that those rescued had gone swimming in crowded places after taking alcohol, which undermined their ability to swim.
At least 26 people were
rescued from drowning in Lake Victoria in Entebbe and Kalangala district during
Christmas and Boxing Day festivities.
Marine police alone rescued four people
from drowning at Aero, Lido and Spenah beaches in Entebbe municipality, while 9
were rescued around the beaches in Kalangala district.
The rescued people were
part of revelers attending different parties and music shows to commemorate
Christmas. Other people were rescued by
life savers deployed by Swim Safe, a non-governmental organization fighting
against drowning in Uganda.
An ambulance from Uganda Red Cross Society was also called in to rescue 10
people including women and foreign nationals who were attacked and their
property stolen by goons at the different recreation grounds.
Anthony Amanya, the Commandant of the Marine Police Unit told
Uganda Radio Network on Friday morning that those rescued had gone swimming in
crowded places after taking alcohol, which undermined their ability to swim.
He cautioned revelers to avoid crowded places in the
remaining days of the festivities since most entertainment spots don’t have
sufficient manpower to handle crowds of more than 20,000 people.
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Last
Week, Haji Noor Njuuki, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner in Charge of
Entebbe cautioned residents and beach owners that they risk being arrested if they fail to follow guidelines put in place by
security to avoid crime during the festive season.
Some
of the deadlines included deploying life savers
on all beaches, demarcating dangerous spots on the Lake and probating people
from swimming beyond 6.00pm.
Despite this, most of the beaches visited by URN
in Entebbe on Christmas and Boxing Day had a single life saver. Some
of the places such as Botanical Gardens allowed
revelers to swim beyond 6.00 pm.
