Guarding Beach Safety

The cliffs at Lucy Vincent Beach are collapsing due to coastal erosion, and of course nothing can be done to turn back the Atlantic Ocean’s constant assault on the shoreline; this is simply the natural process at work.

But public safety officials are wise to try to stay ahead of the game this year in being sure that they have clear access routes to Lucy Vincent and other remote up-Island beaches as the summer season begins.

With their soft, white-gold sand running into deep blue ocean water, the south-facing beaches of the Island are undoubtedly the most popular for thousands of sun-seekers, surfers, swimmers, picnickers and fishermen. They are also the most dangerous, with rip tides, and high, unstable cliffs that have been undermined by ocean waves. Lucy Vincent, where the cliffs have collapsed so badly it is now impossible to walk to the eastern end of the beach along the shore, is the latest case in point. Last week Chilmark selectmen, beach and public safety officials assembled to discuss the situation and work out a plan for the summer that includes a marked path along the top of the cliff for reaching the eastern end of the beach. Police Chief Brian Cioffi and longtime beach manager Martina Matromonaco will also coordinate a clear emergency access route.

We hope it won’t be needed this summer, but the public safety workers who have responded to more than one drowning in extremely difficult circumstances on remote up-Island beaches in the last two years know the odds are otherwise.

Meanwhile, with the official start of summer still two weeks away, beachgoers can do their part to promote public safety by practicing common sense. Never swim alone on remote ocean beaches and do not swim at all on these beaches if you are not a strong swimmer. North-facing beaches, such as State Beach in Oak Bluffs and Edgartown offer far calmer and safer conditions for swimming, especially for children. Do not climb the cliffs that rim the beaches, and do not allow your children to climb them. They are fragile and prone to collapse and are covered with poison ivy and ticks that carry disease.

Enjoy the beach, but please be safe.