Serious questions about safety on Cypriot beaches are brought back by the sea accident in the Pernera area, where a jet ski driven by a 17-year-old girl collided with a tow water toy, resulting in serious injuries to two people, while different drowning incidents have once again highlighted the shortcomings in the staffing of the lifeguard towers.
The two issues are not directly linked, however, in the space of a few weeks, a series of incidents highlighted different weaknesses related to maritime safety. From the control of water sports and the use of speedboats to empty lifeguard seats, empty towers and limited coverage hours.
At the same time, the accident in the Pernera area brought back to the fore the new legislation on pleasure boats, which was passed by the Parliament in February 2026, but has not yet been fully implemented.
The serious accident occurred at noon on August 15, when a jet ski collided with a towed inflatable water toy, in which five members of the same family were on board.
According to the data being investigated by the Police, the jet ski was driven by a 17-year-old Greek Cypriot, while an 18-year-old girl was riding with her. In the towed water toy were two men aged 48 and 43 and three children aged 13, 11 and 7.
The 48-year-old and his seven-year-old daughter were seriously injured in the collision. The man's condition worsened and he had to be hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the Nicosia General Hospital in an extremely critical condition, while the girl, who suffered a skull fracture, was transferred to Makarios Hospital and showed improvement.
The police investigation is now focusing not only on the circumstances of the collision but also on how the jet ski ended up being driven by the 17-year-old.
Based on the data so far, the jet ski seems to have been rented to the 18-year-old, who, as an adult, could under certain conditions use it even without having a regular pilot's license. The critical issue, however, is that the jet ski then allegedly passed into the hands of the 17-year-old.
Existing legislation provides that a 17-year-old minor can operate a speedboat only if he has an apprentice license and is accompanied by a licensed operator. The preliminary examinations do not show that these conditions were met.
The investigation also examines the actions of the water sports companies involved in the incident, including whether the prescribed procedure was followed when renting the jet ski.
The law allows an adult to rent a jet ski without having a full license, but the company must verify his identity, record his details, provide him with specific safety instructions and sign the relevant binding declaration with him.
The question that now arises is what happens after the delivery of the jet ski and whether there is effective supervision so that the person to whom it was delivered actually remains its operator.
New legislation not yet implemented
The accident also highlighted another pending issue, which concerns the non-implementation to date of the new Law on Pleasure Navigation in the Republic, which was passed in February 2026.
The new law attempts to create a broader control framework for yachts and marine operators, largely replacing the older regime focused on high-speed boats.
It provides, among other things, for stricter controls, obligations for businesses, emergency response plans, geographical restrictions on activity, record-keeping and stricter sanctions.
The difference in fines for handling a boat without the required license is characteristic. Today the relevant out-of-court fee is at €85.43, while the new framework provides for €1,500.
However, the entry into force of the law requires a decision of the Council of Ministers, as well as a number of preparatory actions, including the creation of approved training schools for boat operators.
So far, no specific date has been set for its full implementation.
The new framework, however, as explained by sources from the Shipping Deputy Ministry, would not change the basic dimension of the 17-year-old's case, since this also requires for a 17-year-old operator an apprentice license and the presence of a licensed attendant.
Lifeguards are another front
At the same time, different drowning incidents highlighted a second front of safety on the beaches, in terms of staffing and operation of lifeguard towers.
The Interior Ministry had reported in July that out of 374 approved lifeguard positions, 84 remained vacant. In a later briefing, an official of the Ministry spoke of 377 approved positions, of which 107 are permanent and the rest are seasonal.
The biggest problem is mainly found in three- and four-month positions.
The Pancyprian Lifeguard Federation argues that short contracts deter suitably qualified individuals from pursuing work as lifeguards.
As its representatives explain, an employee will hardly leave another job to be hired as a lifeguard for three or four months. They are therefore asking for more eight-month, ten-month and permanent positions.
The second point of disagreement concerns the timetables. The Federation asks for a longer duration of coverage during the summer months, especially during the afternoon hours, when several beaches are still crowded.
The Ministry of the Interior, for its part, acknowledges that there are vacancies, but attributes a significant part of the problem to the lack of a sufficient number of certified candidates.
Ministry officials have described the existing certification system as problematic and have announced a new model from 2027, with certified training bodies and different certifications for beach and pool.
At the same time, the Ministry acknowledges that short seasonal contracts are not particularly attractive and has left open the possibility of reviewing them.
The situation in Larnaca is indicative of the problem.
Of the 19 lifeguard towers, 10 are in operation, while 31 lifeguards are employed in a total of 44 approved positions.
On June 18, two 20-year-old women drowned on a beach in Oroklini, where there was a lifeguard tower, but it was not staffed due to lack of staff.
The fact that the tower was closed has been recorded. It cannot, however, be said with certainty that the presence of a lifeguard would have prevented the two deaths, but there would certainly be more chances that the fatal would not happen.
On August 15, there was another drowning on the CTO beach in Pyla. A woman from Romania lost her life, while her two minor daughters were also in danger.
The tower in the area was operational, but the lifeguards' shift had ended at 18:00. The incident occurred about 20 minutes later.
The case was used by lifeguards as an argument in favour of extending the hours.
The Ministry of the Interior replies that there is no single schedule for all beaches and that the opening hours are determined according to the traffic, the degree of risk and the available staff. He also points out that it is not possible to cover all beaches on a 24-hour basis.
In Paphos, moreover, eight of the 33 towers remained closed in mid-August due to staffing problems.
Different problems, common question
The jet ski accident in Pernera and the lifeguards' problems are not the same thing and should not be confused.
However, they highlight a common question, whether the current beach safety system can cope with the increased traffic of the summer months, when thousands of bathers, jet skis, speedboats, yachts and water sports activities coexist in the same areas.
In water sports, the emphasis now falls on the implementation and supervision of the rules, but also on the activation of the new legislation.
For lifeguards, the questions concern vacancies, the conditions and duration of employment, the certification system and whether the current schedules correspond to the real conditions prevailing on the beaches of Cyprus.
Dimitris Hatzidimitriou: The factor of illegal immigrants should be taken into account
President of the Cyprus Association of Water Sports Owners
The situation on the beaches of Cyprus is of serious concern, not only because of the increased traffic observed during the summer months, but also because speedboats and pleasure boats circulate in the sea which, in many cases, are handled by people without the required experience or even minors. The factor of illegals active in water sports should be taken into account in the equation.
Those of us who work daily on the beaches can realize that there are many boats circulating at sea that do not belong to either licensed professionals in the sector or private individuals who use them exclusively for personal purposes. The activity of illegal immigrants can be seen in the reduction of the work of licensed professionals while increasing the number of boats at sea. The situation with the activity of unlicensed persons has been exacerbated by the use of the internet.
It is also observed that some people rent a package tour boat and jet skis which they tow or when larger boats are rented, speedboats are loaded on them.
There are still cases where a speedboat can be rented by an adult but in a short time end up being operated by a minor.
Does the adult come with his son and say to the licensee, 'I want to take the little one for a ride on the jet ski, is it okay'?" You see that he is indeed an adult, which means that he has the right to manage the speedboat, you let him sign and tell him the necessary for the safety of himself and the others who are at sea and he receives it. When they go out to sea, they change position, so it's not unlikely that an accident will happen.
Sakis Nikolaou: Serious gaps in the safety of bathers
The situation on the beaches of Cyprus is of serious concern, not only because of the increased traffic observed during the summer months, but also because speedboats and pleasure boats circulate in the sea which, in many cases, are handled by people without the required experience or even minors. The factor of illegals active in water sports should be taken into account in the equation.
Those of us who work daily on the beaches can realize that there are many boats circulating at sea that do not belong to either licensed professionals in the sector or private individuals who use them exclusively for personal purposes. The activity of illegal immigrants can be seen in the reduction of the work of licensed professionals while increasing the number of boats at sea. The situation with the activity of unlicensed persons has been exacerbated by the use of the internet.
It is also observed that some people rent a package tour boat and jet skis which they tow or when larger boats are rented, speedboats are loaded on them.
There are still cases where a speedboat can be rented by an adult but in a short time end up being operated by a minor.
Does the adult come with his son and say to the licensee, 'I want to take the little one for a ride on the jet ski, is it okay'?" You see that he is indeed an adult, which means that he has the right to manage the speedboat, you let him sign and tell him the necessary for the safety of himself and the others who are at sea and he receives it. When they go out to sea, they change position, so it's not unlikely that an accident will happen.
Sakis Nikolaou: Serious gaps in the safety of bathers
Foreman of the Lifeguards of the Limassol Lifeguard UnitCurrently, 15 of the 24 lifeguard points in the entire Limassol district are staffed. Of these, two operate with a shift system from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., thus meeting the increased needs of the morning and afternoon hours. These are the points:
· LEM 15 ("Garden B", opposite the GSO)
· LEMM 19 Agios Ermogenis (where a lifeguard tower operates)
In these places, the presence of lifeguards from early in the morning until late at night is considered necessary, due to the high traffic throughout the day.
In total, the 15 points that are open are covered by 49 active lifeguards, who are called upon to respond to a volume of work that far exceeds the limits of a normal shift.
Minimal coverage even in crowded areas
Despite efforts, several lifeguard spots along the coastline remain either completely closed or severely understaffed. Typical examples are areas of high tourist traffic, where coverage is disproportionately small in relation to the number of bathers:
· Governor's Coast: only one lifeguard tower operates
· Lady's Mile: has two lifeguard towers
· Agios Ermogenis – Kourion: a tower operates
· Pissouri: a tower operates
This situation, in my opinion, creates serious gaps in the safety of bathers, as these beaches receive hundreds of visitors every day, while the lifeguard presence is not enough since in most lifeguard spots in Limassol the hours are 10:30am 6pm, as a result of which there is no lifeguard coverage in the morning hours and later in the afternoon.
Request: Proportional staffing with shifts based on traffic
The staffing of the towers must be done with a shift system, depending on the actual traffic of each beach. For this to be possible, more people need to come to the unit. And in order to show interest from new candidates, permanent lifeguard positions must be increased and 11-month jobs created, so that there is stability and prospects.
But beyond the positions, substantial improvements in our earnings and benefits are also required. We demand increases in our salaries for the three-year period 2025-2027, as well as an improvement in the benefits that are due to us. As far as the Welfare Fund is concerned, at the moment only permanent 12-month colleagues are entitled – we demand that it be extended to other categories, so that there is equal treatment. We also demand the safeguarding of all our labour rights, with respect to our working hours, leaves and insurance coverage. Without these incentives, lifeguarding will continue not to attract new people and the gaps on the beaches will remain.
Arrival of new lifeguards – but not enough
Despite the recent arrival of new colleagues, the number of 49 people in total is considered insufficient to fully meet the needs of Limassol, especially in the midst of the summer peak.
The main demands remain:
· Increase in 12-month positions
· Creation of 11-month positions
· Salary increases for the three-year period 2025-2027
· Improvement of benefits and benefits
· Extension of the Provident Fund to other categories
· Safeguarding all labour rights
· Recognition of the contribution and dignity of the function
We call on the State to stop treating lifeguards as a "seasonal allowance" and to invest substantially in the shielding of the Cypriot coasts, with respect to both bathers and us lifeguards themselves!
